A woman in Kotido District has been arrested for unlawfully possessing voter location slips belonging to dozens of registered voters.
The suspect, Josephine Adoch, was arrested on Monday following a tip-off from residents that prompted police to search her home. During the search, officers recovered 52 voter location slips belonging to different voters registered at various polling stations within Kotido Municipality.
Police say Adoch is not an official of the Electoral Commission. According to investigators, the slips included 40 voter location slips for Locwe polling station, eight for Ministry of Works polling station, and three for Um Um III polling station.
Voter location slips indicate a voter’s polling station and contain personal voter details. However, they are not a mandatory requirement for voting. The Electoral Commission Chairperson, Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, recently clarified that voters whose names appear in the voters’ register will be allowed to cast their ballots even without a national ID or a voter location slip.
Kotido District Police Commander, Jimmy Tumwine, confirmed the arrest and said police have preferred charges of unlawful possession of voter location slips against the suspect. He added that investigators are still probing Adoch’s motive as they await legal guidance from the Resident State Attorney.
Meanwhile, authorities say there have been growing reports in Kotido and neighbouring Kangole areas of agents and some political candidates allegedly detaining voters’ location slips for unclear purposes.
Over the weekend, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner cautioned candidates against collecting or holding voters’ slips, warning that anyone found engaging in the practice would be arrested and prosecuted.
Police have urged the public to remain vigilant and to report any incidents that may undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
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