NRM district chairpersons and mayoral elections received very low voter turn across the country. Many NRM electoral officers were looking isolated at the polling stations as there were not voters despite the party having earlier announced that the voting was to start at midday.
In Kawempe North, the low turnout was attributed to inadequate voter sensitisation and mobilisation At Kawempe Mbogo polling station, there was low voter turnout despite having more than 900 voters in the register. Only a few people participated in the election, and by 11:30 a.m., elections at some polling stations had already closed.
Several voters were seen arriving minutes after the elections had ended. Despite the low turnout, the Police were seen patrolling the area. Lukolokomba Kasim, an agent of Ssaava Mayanja, who is aspiring for the position of Lord Councillor, said that most voters had arrived on time, but the election officials were late.
Lukolokomba also mentioned that most voters had not been mobilised and that many were unaware of the ongoing election process. At Kacungwa polling station in Kanyanya Komamboga, by press time, no voters had arrived, and voting materials had not yet been delivered. The situation was the same at Holy Family polling station in Corner Zone, Kawempe.
The LCI Chairperson, who also serves as the NRM chairman of Kawempe Mbogo, Lule Muhammad Kagubaala, said that the NRM Electoral Commission should schedule voting to start at 8:00 a.m. so that people can vote before going to work. Many voters said they were not willing to participate in a process marred by violence and malpractice.
NRM held internal parliamentary elections last Thursday which were marred by violence and results altering. So far 11 NRM electoral officials have been arrested on President Yoweri Museveni orders. Several NRM party politicians have vowed to run as independents during the general elections in January next year.