Candidates contesting for the Kakira Town Council LCIII position in Jinja District have raised concerns over unsealed ballot papers, contrary to the guidelines provided during a pre-election stakeholders’ engagement held yesterday.
At three polling stations, Mwiri Playground, Mwiri-Wairaka B, and Joy Primary School, voters initially refused to participate, demanding a substantive explanation from Electoral Commission (EC) officials.
Esther Nakimuli expressed her concerns, saying anything suspicious during electoral processes undermines the will of the people.
“I will not cast my ballot until a clear explanation is provided by the EC,” she said. Harriet Atim also voiced scepticism over the unsealed ballot papers, arguing that they could create opportunities for vote rigging.
“The L.C.III chairpersons are the main candidates in today’s election, but refusing to seal their ballot papers raises suspicions of possible manipulation,” she said. Candidates questioned why the EC sealed ballot papers for councillors in previous elections but did not extend the same procedure to LCIII candidates. David Muwuliza of the Forum for Democratic Change said such oversights cannot be ignored.
“Electoral communication has ample time to plan for the electoral process, which includes sealing ballot papers. I don’t understand why others are sealed, whereas those for LCIII are not,” he remarked.
He stressed that EC officials should “practice what they preach” to ensure a genuinely free and fair process. Independent candidate Eriya Katula echoed Muwuliza’s concerns, noting that the new packing system for LCIII chairpersons contrasts with previous elections, where all ballot papers, including those for presidential, parliamentary, and LCV contestants, were sealed.
Katula added that low voter turnout further delayed polling, which started as late as 10:30 a.m., and that the unsealed ballots worsened the situation.
“We have engaged in multiple calls with EC officials. Their explanations seemed unsatisfactory, but I proceeded with the election as scheduled,” he said.
Christopher Kiiza of the National Unity Platform (NUP) noted that the incident angered some of his supporters, with several abstaining from voting.
“Elections are highly emotional, and our voters are cautious about the process. It’s hard to convince them that the election will be fair when the LCIII ballot papers are not sealed,” he said.
Kiiza added that his team is using direct phone calls and social media to address concerns about vote rigging. John Kamau, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, said the situation was initially confusing, with some voters fearing a pre-determined outcome.
However, after candidate agents and polling assistants reviewed all the ballots and confirmed none were pre-ticked, confidence in the process improved. Kamau remains optimistic about a free and fair election.
Meanwhile, Jinja District Returning Officer Sarah Kabukaire dismissed any allegations of vote rigging, stating that the unsealed ballots were part of the general packaging model across the board.
She assured the public that the EC is committed to conducting a fair process that represents the majority voice and urged voters to remain calm, promising that results will be declared without prejudice.
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