Voters in Apaa township unaware of the location of their polling station

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Voters in Apaa township in Amuru district are still unaware of the location of their polling station just two days to the presidential and parliamentary polls.

There are 2,115 registered voters in Apaa village, an area bordering Adjumani and Amuru districts and highly contested for by the Madi of Adjumani and Acholi of Amuru as well as the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

The voters say that they became concerned after noticing that their Voter Location Slips (VLS) being issued by the Electoral Commission (EC) did not have their polling station but were instead marked ‘’Nil’’.

Initially, the residents would vote from Apaa market, Apaa health center II and Apaa primary school but none of them has been labelled in the newly issued VLS causing panic among them.

Wilson Acuma, a local leader in Apaa township said that voters in the area are worried that they might not be allowed to vote and in any case from where.

He added that the residents also lacked civic and voter education which is a key element for one to precisely cast a vote and make the right choice of candidates.

Habraham Opiru, a voter in the area has also noted with concern that he is still unaware of his polling station much as the election process has kicked off.

He pleaded with EC to sensitize the voters and inform them where to vote from.

Apollo Okello, a local councillor in the area has also welcomed the news with shock arguing that the fate of voters in the area hangs in balance even when campaigns are closing and voting is kicking off shortly.

However, when contacted on Tuesday, Gertrude Ajwang, the Amuru district returning officer told URN that Apaa village was scrapped off from the voters register because the government declared that it was in East Madi wildlife game reserve.

She disclosed that all the voters from Apaa village have been transferred to vote from Okojo polling station, a nearby village in Labala parish Pabbo sub county in Amuru district.

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