The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The continued detention of the National Unity Platform President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu took centre stage as candidates cast their ballots in the Kawempe Mayoral race.
A few minutes to 1 p.m., incumbent Kawempe Division Mayor Emmanuel Serunjogi turned up to cast his vote at Yiga’s Park Yard Bwaise II polling station amidst chants by his supporters.
Serunjogi, the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate who is in the race with four others said immediately after voting that while his competitors had their party presidents for final campaigns, his president was being incarcerated, something that affected his final touches.
He says that the fact that the court is coming out now to declare this detention unlawful was intentional to suffocate those running on the NUP ticket.
Serunjogi is hopeful that amidst the hardship, he will emerge victoriously.
Muhammad Mutazindwa who is standing for the same seat on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket says despite the NUP wave that has swept majority seats in Central region, he will emerge victoriously. Mutazindwa, however, says the campaign period posed a major challenge since their movement was restricted.
The Electoral Commission banned processions and campaign meetings exceeding 200 people to the existence of the COVID-19 Pandemic. All participants were required to wear a face mask and maintain a social distance of at least two metres. Because of this, Mutazindwa says, just like other candidates, he couldn’t meet and sell his manifesto to as many voters as he would have wanted.
Juma Wasswa Ssekyanzi, the National Resistance Movement-NRM flag bearer in the Kawempe Division Mayoral race voted at Katoogo polling station in Bwaise. He says since he has served the people of the area as division councillor, they know his capability and shall hence vote him based on that. He hopes that he can resolve the flooding problem in Kawempe and improve the road infrastructure.
However, while others focused much on what they will do next after polling, Ashraf Kiwanuka Juuko who is contesting as an independent candidate focused on the malpractices, he witnessed in the election process.
He said that he, together with his agents, abandoned rallying his people to go to vote and embarked on engaging in running battles with a group of youths whom he believes were paid by his competitors to engage in vote theft and voter bribery.
Also, Ramadhan Lukwago who is standing on the Democratic Party ticket reports receiving complaints of vote-rigging in Wandegeya, Bwaise and Makerere. However, the Electoral Commission, said it had not yet received such complaints from any of the candidates or their agents.
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