VOTER DISPUTES, SECURITY INTERVENTIONS MARK ARUA CITY LC1 ELECTIONS

Arua central division O.C station interacting with one of the aggrieved candidate Maliamungu Mustafah. Photo by Morish Dramadri.

By Morish Dramadri

Arua city

Allegations of non-resident voters, voter bribery, dissatisfaction with village registers, and concerns over the open lining-up voting method overshadowed Local Council I (LC1) elections in several cells of Arua Central Division on Tuesday, triggering security interventions and delaying the electoral process.

According to the Electoral Commission polling programme, voting and vote counting were expected to take place between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., following voter education and briefing sessions, with declaration of results anticipated before midday. However, observations across several cells in Arua Central Division revealed significant delays as candidates and voters contested the eligibility of some participants, forcing security personnel to intervene and restore order.

At Azia Cell in Pangisa Ward, where three candidates were contesting for the LC1 chairperson seat, what began as a peaceful exercise turned chaotic after one of the candidates, Gadaffi Brahan, reportedly attempted to step down during the lining-up process and asked voters standing behind him to join another contestant, Kennedy Xavier E’daa.

The move sparked protests from rival supporters and election officials, who argued that candidate withdrawal should follow the procedures provided under electoral laws. The disagreement led to a temporary suspension of the exercise before joint security teams intervened and calmed the situation.

In Oyooze Cell, also in Pangisa Ward, voter verification was still ongoing by 1:40 p.m., several hours after the scheduled voting time, as candidates disputed the authenticity of some voters on the register.

Hon. Ronald Okuti the victor for the office of local council one Oyooze cell, celebrating with electorates after the hotly contested election. Photo by Morish Dramadri.

Maliamungu Mustafah, the NRM candidate in the race, alleged that individuals from neighboring cells had been mobilized to influence the outcome of the election.

“The Electoral Commission told us that if you are not staying in Oyooze Cell, you are not supposed to participate in this election. The current LC went registering some voters from neighboring cells to come and support him,” Maliamungu alleged.

However, Ronald Okuti, the incumbent LC1 chairperson and one of the candidates in the race, dismissed the allegations, insisting that all those who turned up to vote were legitimate residents of the cell.

“I can vividly say that my opponents were scared from the beginning. There were no infiltrators. These were all residents of Oyooze Cell,” Okuti said.

The elections also revived debate over Uganda’s village-level voting system, where voters line up behind candidates, their agents, portraits, or symbols instead of casting secret ballots.

Emmanuel Adriko, a youth living with a physical disability in Azia Cell, argued that the open voting system exposes voters to intimidation and social pressure, especially in close-knit communities where candidates are often relatives, friends, or neighbors.

“In these elections, the candidates are people we live with every day. Sometimes you may know someone is not the best leader, but because of family ties or friendship, it becomes difficult to openly stand against them. It would be better if ballot papers were used,” Adriko said.

The Electoral Commission conducted the last nationwide LC1 elections in July 2018, while residual elections in villages where polls were not completed were held in 2019. The 2026 elections are the first comprehensive LC1 elections since the expiry of the previous village leadership term.