Ugandan election halted as Kenyans cross border to vote

Chaos broke out in several villages in Buteba Sub-county and Eastern Division that neighbour Kenya, as hundreds of Kenyan nationals crossed the border to vote in the NRM village party elections that got underway on Monday.

Busia is a border district between Uganda and Kenya, with ethnic communities like the Samia and Iteso having family ties across both countries, making it challenging to distinguish between Ugandan and Kenyan citizens.

The worst-affected villages were Marachi D, Sofia A, and Sofia B in Eastern Division. In Buteba Sub-county, the affected villages included Okame, Abochet, Amagoro, and Alupe.

In Buteba Sub-county, voting was called off in four villages, Alupe, Amagoro, Abochet, and Okame, after hundreds of Kenyans from Teso South crossed the border to participate in the NRM elections.

Busia District NRM Chairperson Mr Eric Masiga confirmed that polls in the four villages were cancelled due to the illegal participation of foreigners.

"We were strictly following the yellow book, so when some Kenyans crossed and insisted on voting, chaos broke out, leading to the cancellation of the voting process," Mr Masiga said.

He added that elections in the affected villages had been rescheduled for the following day.

In Marachi D, Sofia A, and Sofia B, the voting process was delayed amid allegations that some candidates brought in hundreds of Kenyan nationals to vote, although the process eventually resumed.

Eastern Division NRM Party Registrar Ms Linet Lilian Acheng said that despite the disruptions, elections proceeded after candidates agreed on the voting method.

"We tried using the yellow books, but candidates declined the procedure, and we had to allow people to line up without following the guidelines," she said.

Elsewhere, elections were postponed in villages across Dabani, Western Division, Masinya, Lumino, Lunyo, and Busime sub-counties.

In Dabani Sub-county, polls were not held in Nangwe North and South and Shamitumba, after party members found their names missing from the voter register.

Voting was also disrupted in Buyondi (Lumino) and Hadoda (Masinya) due to violence.

In Nangwe Madibira village (Western Division), elections were called off after residents claimed non-village individuals were listed on the register.

"We couldn’t allow voting to proceed with a flawed register," said Mr David Tibita, a resident. "Some genuine residents’ names were missing, while non-residents were included."

Poll Chaos and Clashes

Chaotic scenes marred the elections in many locations. In Mugungu B (Eastern Division), clashes between voters forced police intervention.

Mr Patrick Lomony, a resident, said: “We arrived to vote for our preferred candidate, but the presiding officer turned us away, even though we are registered in the yellow book.”

Mr Talemwa Tigger alleged that several NRM members were blocked from voting, a scheme, he said, orchestrated by Mr Godfrey Benezer to disadvantage his rival, Mr Juma Charles.

Fighting also broke out in Marachi D, Sofia A, and Arubaine over disputes involving ineligible voters. In Rukaka village, Busime Sub-county, police fired shots in the air to disperse violent party members.

In Kateke village, Buteba Sub-county, drama unfolded when the LC1 chairmanship winner, Mr Lawrence Ikemeri, had his hand broken by his son.

Busia District Police Commander Ms Alice Kuka confirmed the incident, saying Mr Stephen Okameri assaulted his father after learning he had lost the election to him.

“Mr Okameri fled the village to Kampala shortly after committing the crime, but a case of assault has been recorded at Buteba Police Station,” Ms Kuka said.

She added that two individuals had been arrested in connection with election-related violence.

Party Response

Mr Rogers Mulindwa, NRM party publicist for the Bukedi region, blamed the chaos on individuals not listed in their respective village registers.

“I have been to a number of villages in Busia District, and voting is ongoing without major disruptions, but there are a few cases of non-registered voters wanting to vote,” Mr Mulindwa told this publication.