Polling assistant arrested over alleged ballot stuffing in Entebbe residual election

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police have arrested a polling assistant in Entebbe municipality over allegations of vote rigging in the residual elections.

Last month, the Electoral Commission cancelled the elections for the directly elected councilor for Bugonga, Kakeeka Nakasamba and Kitasa villages due to misallocation of symbols. The National Unity Platform-NUP’s Peter Ssebuwufu Kitaka was allocated Forum for Democratic Change-FDC’s key symbol instead of NUP’s umbrella symbol.

The other candidates in the race are Democratic Party-DP’s Francis Makumbi, National Resistance Movement-NRM’s Mariam Namubiru Wamala, also the incumbent Lawrence Mukasa Bajja of Alliance for National Transformation-ANT and independent candidate Francis Ssenfuma.

Polling for the residual election is taking place at 8 polling stations with a total of 4,708 registered voters at Lake Victoria Primary School playground, Survey Training Institute compound and Bugonga Boys Primary School playground.

Doreen Kembabazi, a polling official at A-M polling station at Bugonga Boys Primary School playground was arrested after one of the polling agents noticed that she had issued more than one ballot paper to a voter.

The voter identified as Esther Kayaga, the LC III woman councilor elect for Bugonga village was found with five ballot papers. She is accused of conniving with Kembabazi to stuff ballots in favour of Ssenfuma.

Nicholas Lukoma, the presiding officer says that Kembabazi told them that she accidentally pulled out the ballot papers. Lukoma says they agreed with the polling agents to set aside the five ballot papers so that polling could resume.

However, the agents of other candidates argued for close to one hour because they wanted Kembabazi and Kayaga probed further. Kayaga however fled from the scene as two police officers from Bugonga police post picked up Kembabazi from the polling station.

Kembabazi is currently being detained at Entebbe police station. Voting however resumed after 2pm.

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