A storm of controversy surrounds the Mukono Municipality youth elections, with widespread allegations of electoral irregularities, unlawful relocation of polling stations, voter suppression, and violent military interference—raising deep concerns over the state of democratic participation among Uganda’s young electorate.
Prominent opposition figure and Mukono Municipality MP, Hon. Betty Nambooze, has decried the events as a blatant subversion of the law, accusing the Electoral Commission and security forces of colluding to rig the election in favour of ruling party candidates.
“This election was a mockery of the law and democracy. It didn’t follow any of the Electoral Commission’s own guidelines. Voters were locked out. People were beaten. Fake voters were allowed in. The entire process was a sham,” said Nambooze during an impassioned address to the press.
According to Regulation 6.5 of the Electoral Commission Act, the program for any voting day is clear: setting up begins at 6 a.m., voter education and verification follow until 9 a.m., and actual voting is supposed to occur between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
However, reports indicate that Presiding Officer Robert Ssekirya had concluded the entire election process by 9:30 a.m., well before most voters had been verified or even allowed to enter the premises.
Critics argue that this early conclusion excluded dozens of eligible voters, with at least 45 individuals reportedly locked out.
“We were outside the gate while they declared 59 votes for NRM and zero for NUP. This happened while the majority of our supporters were still trying to get in,” said Marvin Ssaava, the NUP youth chairperson candidate.
Adding to the chaos was the sudden and illegal change of venue. The elections were originally gazetted to be held at the Mukono Municipal Council grounds (Mayor’s Garden).
However, on voting day, the polling station was relocated without official notice to a military barracks—a move explicitly prohibited by Ugandan electoral laws.
“We were assured in writing that no elections would be held inside security installations. Yet, today, youth elections were conducted inside a barracks. That alone invalidates the process,” Nambooze emphasized.
The presiding officer allegedly claimed that a “registrar” for NUP authorized the change, but neither the identity of this registrar nor documentation supporting the claim has been made public.
Several NUP supporters and candidates claim they were physically assaulted and forcefully ejected from the premises.
Unidentified individuals dressed in black—suspected to be part of the infamous “Kifesi” group—were reported to have taken charge of crowd control, locking out voters and allegedly manhandling opposition figures while uniformed police and army personnel stood by.
“I was physically lifted and thrown out by unknown men. My foot was injured. We don’t know who these masked men were, but they clearly weren’t ordinary police,” said Ssaava, showing visible injuries.
“If the police can’t protect citizens and hand over their duties to street gangs in uniforms, then what kind of democracy are we running?” Nambooze asked bitterly.
Fraudulent Voting and Inflated Numbers
Another troubling aspect involves the alleged inclusion of ineligible voters. NUP representatives say that individuals who lost at the parish level or non-voting ex-officio members were allowed to cast ballots.
The math itself raised red flags—NUP claims to have won 45 out of 81 delegates, while NRM only had 36. Yet, NRM was declared the winner with 59 votes, an outcome that defies arithmetic logic.
“They inflated the figures, allowed ghost voters in, and shut out legitimate ones. It was textbook rigging,” said Robert Peter Kabanda, NUP’s focal point in Mabira stretch.
A Protest in Motion
In response to the election chaos, NUP has vowed not to recognize the results.
Nambooze confirmed that a formal petition will be filed, and called for fresh elections to be conducted before the scheduled district youth elections.
“Mukono Municipality will not send a representative to the district elections if this fraud is not addressed. This was not just a flawed election—it was a stolen one,” she asserted.
The party is also demanding that Presiding Officer Robert Ssekirya be barred from conducting any future elections, citing his disregard for procedure and alleged partisan conduct.
The District Returning Officer, Mark Muganzi Mayanja, advised opposition complainants to submit their grievances in writing to his office for onward transmission to the Electoral Commission’s legal department in Kampala for appropriate redress.
Democratic Integrity at Stake
As Uganda inches closer to the 2026 general elections, these events in Mukono sound an alarm about the broader integrity of the electoral process, especially for young and first-time voters.
“We’re not just contesting chairs here. We are training ourselves to resist cheating, to fight for democracy from the grassroots,” Nambooze said. “Let the Electoral Commission and security forces know—we are watching. We are organizing. And we are not backing down.”
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