Uganda: Police buy anti-riot gear ahead of Museveni’s re-election bid | Reuters

Uganda has bought anti-riot gear ahead of a Feb. 18 election in a move which police say will bolster security during voting but which critics say aims to intimidate opponents of President Yoweri Museveni, who is seeking to extend his 30-year rule. Museveni’s two major rivals, Kizza Besigye and Amama Mbabazi, a former prime minister and secretary general of the ruling party, have both attracted large crowds and analysts say Museveni faces his toughest challenge yet. Critics have accused him of using violence by security personnel to intimidate opposition supporters, while police have drawn public ire for frequently blocking opposition gatherings or using teargas and sometimes live ammunition to disperse them.

Uganda: Fears of violence ahead of elections | Deutsche Welle

A local NGO, the Human Rights Network-Uganda (HRINET-U) has issued a report citing cases of members from opposition parties who have gone missing, while others who have been arrested have not been charged or been brought before the courts. The report also says security organizations are believed to be favoring incumbent president Museveni. It sites incidents when Uganda’s main opposition leader and flag bearer of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Kizza Besigye, was twice stopped by police on his way to a campaign rally in Kabale district in south western Uganda. The reason the police gave, was that Besigye intended to disrupt business at a market on his way to his campaign venue. Such incidents have raised concerns whether the electoral process will be free and fair.

Uganda: ‘Whistleblower’ general arrested weeks before presidential election | The Guardian

The Ugandan military has detained a general who is a long-time critic of veteran leader Yoweri Museveni, in a move likely to raise tensions in the country in the weeks leading up to a presidential election. David Sejusa, who in 2013 alleged officials were plotting to kill anyone who stood in the way of Museveni transferring power to his son, is is being detained at a military barracks in the capital Kampala and his home was surrounded by military police, his lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi said. Museveni, who is seeking to extend his 30-year rule, is facing perhaps his toughest challenge yet ahead of the 18 February vote, which pits him against long-time opposition leader Kizza Besigye and his ally-turned-rival, Amama Mbabazi.

Uganda: Biometric technology to be introduced in February elections | Citizen Digital

The Ugandan Electoral Commission (EC) has announced that it will use electronic systems in the forthcoming General Elections slated for February 18th, 2016. The commission will use a Biometric Voter Verification Kit (BVVK) during the voter verification process and use the Electronic Results Transmission and Dissemination System (ERTDS) to transmit presidential and parliamentary results. Also Read: Don’t feel like doing your laundry? In Kampala, there’s an app for that BVVK is set to authenticate voters’ identify using fingerprints to match the details in the systems in order to improve the management and conduct of the elections, according to a statement by the EC.

Uganda: Biometric Verification Machines for to be Used in Uganda Elections | VoA News

Uganda’s electoral commission plans to meet next week with representatives of the country’s eight presidential candidates, political parties and stakeholders to explain its decision to use a biometric system to verify voters in the February 18 general election. This would be the first time that the electoral body employs a biometric system, which uses human body characteristics to confirm a person’s identity. Jotham Taremwa, a spokesman for the electoral commission, says the deployment of the biometric verification mechanism at all polling stations across the country will significantly boost the credibility of the presidential, legislative and local elections. The commission has begun training its officers in how to use the system.

Uganda: Electoral Commission Issues Final Voters List to Candidates | VoA News

The electoral commission of Uganda has issued the final voters list for next year’s general election to all participating presidential candidates and their parties. The country’s electoral law demands the electoral commission present an electronic copy of the voters list to the parties and their candidates after the nomination process. Two weeks before the presidential, parliamentary and local elections, the law requires the electoral commission to issue a paper copy, also called a hard copy, to the candidates.

Uganda: Electoral Body Warns Against Early Campaigning | VoA News

Uganda’s Electoral Commission is warning all political parties and civil society groups that they would be flouting the country’s laws if they engage in early political campaigns before an official declaration. “We released a road map clearly ahead of the elections, [and] we indicated activities and their time frame,” said Jotham Taremwa, commission spokesman. Because nominations have not yet been made, “whoever is posing as a candidate is out of order.”

Uganda: Opposition Wants Electoral Reforms, Vote Postponed | VoA News

A prominent opposition leader says Ugandans will no longer tolerate rigged elections, after what he says have been years of voter irregularities and polls that are skewed in favor of President Yoweri Museveni and his ruling National Resistance Movement. Kizza Besigye says there is a need for electoral reforms to ensure an equal playing field for opponents of the NRM before elections are held. Uganda is scheduled to hold a general election next year. But opposition and civil society groups have called for a postponement of the poll until the electoral reforms are implemented to ensure transparent, free, fair and credible future elections.

Uganda: Electoral Commission extends voters registration again | New Vision

After the initial extension of the deadline for updating the national voters register, the Electoral Commission (EC) has re-extended the exercise by seven days, ending on May 11. The update process which started on 7th April 2015 up to 30th April was extended to the end of Monday but before the close of business, EC considered re-extending with the aim of generating a fresh voter’s register, ahead of the 2016 polls. EC deputy spokesperson Paul Bukenya while confirming to New Vision said that the move is meant to capture more legible voters to update their details ahead of the elections.

Uganda: Opposition Groups Demand Electoral Reforms | VoA News

Opposition and civil society groups in Uganda have launched a “citizens for reforms now” campaign to pressure parliament to institute electoral reforms ahead of next year’s general election. Parliamentarian Mathias Mpuga, a leading opposition member, says opponents of President Yoweri Museveni have dismissed electoral reform proposals presented to parliament by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). Among the proposals is a call to change the name of the electoral commission.

Uganda: New Measures to Prevent Voter Irregularities in Uganda | VoA News

The Electoral Commission of Uganda will use a biometric system – a system that uses human body characteristics to determine identity – to update its voters register ahead of next year’s general election, says Electoral Commission spokesman Jotham Taremwa. Denying reports that the electoral commission lacks funds needed to organize the elections within the next 10 months, Taremwa says the electoral body needs about $90,000,000 to organize the elections. The government has disbursed $67,000,000 but has yet to release the rest of the funds.

Uganda: Electoral commission lays out road map | East African Business Week

Uganda’s Electoral Commission (EC) has announced its preparations for the 2015-2016 elections that will be held early next year. The acting EC Chairman, Joseph Biribonwa, told a recent news conference recently between April 7th and 30th an update of all registers will take place. EC officials will capture unregistered youth, elderly and disabled persons and armed forces personnel. This also includes other people who were not qualified during the last election but are now eligible to vote. Between June 2and 22, the final registers will be displayed at the relevant polling stations and the general public is encouraged to check for their names and details to avoid any later inconveniences.

Uganda: Plans to use Braille ballot papers in 2016 polls | New Vision

The Electoral Commission says it is working on printing Braille ballot papers for the blind to be used in the 2016 general elections. It will be the first time the Braille system is applied in the country’s elections. Previously, visually impaired voters have been helped by guides to cast their ballot. But there have been concerns that some guides can take advantage of the voter’s inability to see what they are doing, and go on to manipulate their choice. And one such concerned person is John Nataba, a visually impaired youth who hails from Ntungamo district. During the launch of a report titled: “Youth Participation Road Map to Uganda’s 2016 Elections and Beyond,” in Kampala recently, he told the Electoral Commission chairman Eng. Badru Kiggundu that he was worried about the legitimacy of the intentions of the person helping him to vote.

Uganda: Kamya to sue Uganda Electoral Commission over denying Diaspora rights | monitor.co.ug

The Uganda Federal Alliance has threatened to sue the Electoral Commission for failing to ensure Ugandans living in the Diaspora vote. Addressing journalists in Kampala on Tuesday, UFA president Beti Kamya said it is a constitutional right of every national to participate in the elections of the country despite living outside its borders. “Article 62 of our Constitution states that the Electoral Commission is independent and there is no way it can base its adamancy on policy. People in the Diaspora contribute greatly to our economy and we can’t just undermine them like that,” she said. Ms Kamya said her party had established a five-member steering committee to oversee the court process.

Uganda: MPs seek signatures to impeach Ugandan President | monitor.co.ug

Seven opposition lawmakers yesterday set out on what is likely to be an uphill task when they signed onto an unprecedented petition seeking to impeach President Museveni. The lawmakers say the President, who faced a similar though unsuccessful challenge during the 7th Parliament from former MP Aggrey Awori, is guilty of economic crimes. However, pro-ruling party members, who enjoy a commanding majority in the House, were quick to pour cold water on the attempt to unseat the President under Article 107(1)b of the Constitution, describing it as “diversionary, irresponsible and unwarranted.”

Uganda: DP to sue Electoral Commission | Uganda Government News

The Democratic Party has revealed plans to sue the Electoral Commission for delaying the swearing in of Brenda Nabukenya as the Woman Member of Parliament for Luwero district.

Speaking to journalists in Kampala today, the DP General Secretary Mathias Nsubuga said that they had given the EC up to today the 29th of November to have sent Nabukenya’s name in parliament for swearing in but the commission has not complied.

Uganda: Luwero vote recount stopped, Nabukenya reinstated | newvision.co.ug

Luweero district returning officer Peter Kasozi has today afternoon stopped the vote recounting exercise for the Luweero district woman MP by-elections. This comes after the presiding officer said one of the ballot boxes had been tampered with. Kasozi has reinstated DP’s Nabukenya as the winner and urged NRM to seek court redress if they are not satisfied with the results.

The Electoral Commission on Tuesday declared Democratic Party’s Brenda Nabukenya a winner trouncing NRM’s Rebecca Nalwanga Lukwago with a small margin of over 30 votes. NRM protested the results and demanded for a recount.  Earlier, Police fired tear gas to disperse DP supporter who were protesting the recount exercise. Businesses came to a standstill as DP supporters joined by FDC engaged Police in running battles.

Uganda: Jinja Woman MP vote for recount | monitor.co.ug

The High Court in Jinja has set November 29 to December 2 for the recount of votes for Jinja Woman MP seat. The resident judge, Ms Flavia Anglin Ssenoga, made the ruling following a successful election petition filed by the former Woman parliamentary candidate Maureen Kyalya Walube, challenging the election of Agnes Nabirye as Jinja Woman MP.

Ms Walube’s application for a vote recount was first made in April but was trashed by Jinja Chief Magistrate Amos Kwizera, who was not convinced by the submissions. The ruling by the chief magistrate prompted Ms Walube to petition the High Court alleging a number of anomalies that transpired in the February 18 polls.

Ghana: Lessons from the foiled Ugandan e-voting system | ModernGhana.com

The Centre for Open ICT Policy Analysis has noted, with grave a concern, similarities between Ghana’s impending e-voting system and that of the Uganda. The Ugandan project, also known as the voter registration database implementation system, was a failure as shown in their 2001 and 2006 elections. The District Electoral Commission (EC) of Uganda had been smoothly organising the country’s elections until in 2000 when they initiated a programme to rid the voters’ register of names of imposters, double voters, and dead voters by photographing all qualified voters. This programme was also meant to create an election database to be used to verify the 2001 elections. Therefore the government of Uganda invested $22 million on equipment, consultancy services and operations.

However, things went wrong at the early stages of the project, particularly during the bidding and delivery of equipment. This led to a strong public outcry about the transparency of the process. The public outcry came from stakeholders such as civil societies groups and the opposition political parties. Ugandan EC ignored these criticisms. And a s result a number of court cases between government and opposition groups, on one hand, and Ugandan EC and some companies, on the other hand (as it has already started in Ghana) were filed.

Uganda: Lukwago, Uganda Electoral Commission lawyer clash over bribery | New Vision Online

Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago clashed with the Electoral Commission lawyer, Enos Tumusiime, in court yesterday over claims that there was bribery during the Rubaga North vote recount. Lukwago, who is a witness for Moses Kasibante, the former Rubaga North parliamentary candidate, was being cross-examined on his affidavit by Tumusiime before High Court judge, Vincent Kibuuka-Musoke.

Tumusiime asked Lukwago to substantiate a claim he allegedly made under cross-examination by MP Singh Katongole’s lawyers last week that the NRM deputy treasurer and Kampala district returning officer, Molly Mutazindwa, received a bribe before the vote recount.

Uganda: Kasibante’s witness turns against him in Uganda Court | New Vision

Yunus Ntale, a witness in the election petition for the Rubaga North seat, has said Moses Kasibante and his lawyer Erias Lukwago witnessed the vote recount. Appearing before the chief magistrates’ court at Mengo on Wednesday, Ntale said Kasibante lied when he stated that he was not in court when an order for the vote recount was granted.

Kasibante told court on Monday that he and Lukwago were not at the court when the votes were recounted. He also said they were not in court when the Chief Magistrate, Philip Odoki, ordered for a recount of the votes on February 28. Yunus Ntale, a journalist at the Buganda kingdom CBS radio station is Kasibante’s witness.

Uganda: Court okays vote recount for Kasese Woman MP | Daily Monitor

High Court sitting in Kasese has upheld a request for a vote re-count by Ms Rehema Muhindo (NRM), who lost to Ms Winfred Kiiza (FDC) in the February 18 parliamentary polls.

She had successfully applied for a vote recount in the Kasese lower court but during the counting, court found some ballot boxes tampered with and halted the exercise. Later Ms Muhindo, through her lawyers, Mr Ngaruye Ruhindi unsuccessfully applied to High Court in Fort Portal presided over by Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama for a revision order.