Voters in the five newly created districts of Kakumiro, Kagazi, Kibaale, Rubanda and Omoro today went to polls to elect district and female members of parliament.
Omoro district which was curved out of Gulu Kakumiro and Kagadi out of Kibaale and Rubanda out of Kabale became operation on July 1st, but had no leaders.
Today morning, the electoral commission carried the voting exercise in all the new districts under heavy police deployment to quell any kinds of chaos that may arise as observed in the February 18th general elections.
However, there were just a few cases reported in Omoro, Kagadi and Kakumiro districts. In the latter districts, there were bribery allegations and three people were arrested.
In Omoro, 14 people were arrested over electoral fraud, while Rubanda observed a violent free election despite late arrival of electoral materials. By 4:00PM (official closing time) many people were still in lines waiting to cast their votes in Rubanda.
Meanwhile, in Omoro, voter turnout was very low. With more than 17,300 registered voters, a handful had turned out to vote at different stations.
In Koro Abili P.7 School (B-Z) polling station where 693 were registered, only 140 had cast their ballots by Noon.
Francis Obwona, a presiding officer at the station blames this on a delay of the polling constable deployed at the station who failed to show up. The station was manned by a crime preventer.
Ten candidates are competing for the Woman Member of Parliament seat and they include; Prossy Alanyo Owiny (FDC), Catherine Lamwaka (NRM), Christine Atimango Odongo (Independent) and Santa Okot (Independent), Grace Pamela Lanyero (DP), Maria Shaka Lapolo (UPC), Alice Aneno Oroma (Independent), Alice Akello Latigo (Independent), Rose Nyapolo (Independent) and Betty Lalam (Independent).
The contest for Omoro district chairperson are five and they are Stephen Odong Latek (NRM), Godfrey Oryem (Independent) Douglas Peter Okello (Independent), Simon Toolit Akecha (FDC) and Robert Mugabe (Independent).
In Rubanda, the ruling NRM party candidate Jogo Kenneth Biryabarema is facing Independents Stephen Ampeire Kasaba, Nelson Habasa and opposition FDC candidate Joseph Ruhangariyo for Local Council 5 seat.
The woman Member of Parliament position attracted three candidates including Prosy Begumisa of NRM, FDC's Vastine Mutatina and Kabarungi Hilder Karuhize who is an Independent candidate.
In Kibaale district, Noeline Kisembo Basemera of NRM is fighting against FDC's Proscovia Kunihira for the woman Member of Parliament seat. The seat fell vacant after Robinah Nabbanja opted to represent the newly created Kakumoro district.
In Kagadi district, there is a tight race between NRM's Steven Fashingabo Byaruhanga, Yosia Ndibwami an Indepebndent candidate and Peter Byahangirwe of FDC party for the LC5 Chairperson seat. And for the woman Member of Parliament seat, the race is between Jenipher Mbabazi of NRM and FDC's Margaret Naziwa.
In Kakumiro, the Local Council 5 chairperson seat has attracted two candidates, Joseph Ssentayi of the ruling NRM party and Gerald Ssemanda Apuuli on Independent ticket.
