Open ballot boxes caused delays in Muhorro town council Kibaale district after the NRM flag-bearer suspected malpractice.
Godfrey Nangonza said that when the ballot boxes were delivered at Muhorro police post at around 10:00pm on Tuesday night, seals on two boxes had broken which suspected that some people could have tampered with the materials.
“We had received prior information that some election officials were planning to connive with our competitor to rig the election,” said Nangonza.
The situation became tense when hundreds of Nangonza supporters stormed Muhorro police post to protect the voting materials and to ensure that they are verified first before voting could start.
Nangonza is accusing his rival and incumbent LC III chairman Muhorro town council Balijuka Ngoragora of planning to rig the election.
The situation warranted the district returning officer Kibaale Eric Gimei to rush to Muhorro to sort out the anomaly before voting could start.
On arrival at Muhorro police Gimei held a brief meeting with the two candidates and agreed that all the 21 ballot boxes be opened and verified before they are dispatched to the various polling stations.
In the presence of the district police commander all the ballot boxes were opened and verified and re-sealed before being sent to the polling stations.
After opening the ballot boxes all the materials were found safe except some hard been wet by rain. “I want to ensure that all the parties in these elections are satisfied with the process that is why we decided to open all the boxes for verification,” said Gimei.
The opening of the ballot boxes started a few minutes after 11:00am and by 11:40am all had been verified and re-sealed and sent to the polling stations. Voting at the nearest polling station started at 11:50am at Muhorro Muslim primary school.
But Gimei said that despite of the delay there will be no extension on the voting period and asked all presiding officers to close at the stipulated time of 4:00pm.
He said however all voters who will be in the queue by 4:00pm will be allowed to vote until the last person. Gimei said that this election has been tense unlike in the past presidential and parliamentary elections where calm prevailed in most parts of the district.
He said some of the hot spots in the district include Kyenzige sub-county where NRM’s Francis Byamukama is competing with Habib Rukyalekere and independent.
Elsewhere in the district, some people pulled out pangas as they protested the voting of some people they suspected are from the neighbouring district of Hoima.
Bosco Arop, the district police commander said that there are reports in Rugashari sub county that some people from Hoima have crossed to Kibaale to vote. “We have deployed more police personnel in the area to avert any bloodshed,” said Arop.
