EDITOR
Rukungiri District recorded a low voter turnout in the recent LC5 chairperson elections, with the majority of registered voters failing to cast their ballots.
Official figures show that out of 206,266 registered voters, only 78,894 people participated in the election, representing 38.2 percent of the electorate. The remaining 127,372 voters, or 61.8 percent, stayed away from the polls.
Charles Andrewson Katebite was declared the new LC5 Chairperson for Rukungiri District after securing 40,946 votes, accounting for 52.44 percent of the total votes cast. Independent candidate Angelo Twinomuhagi Bagorogoza came in second with 20,934 votes, or 26.81 percent, while Hillary Ainembazi of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) finished third with 16,196 votes, representing 20.74 percent.
Overall, fewer than four in ten registered voters participated, leaving more than half of the electorate absent from the polls.
Commenting on the low turnout, Nyakishenyi Sub-county LC3 Chairperson Wednesday Twinomujuni attributed the situation partly to the imprisonment of opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, saying some supporters chose to boycott the elections in protest.
“Some opposition supporters opted to boycott the elections in response to the detention of their leader,” Twinomujuni said.
He also noted that some residents felt the elections would have little impact on their lives, leading them to stay home and focus on daily work. He urged those who did not vote to reconsider, emphasizing that elections provide citizens with the opportunity to choose leaders capable of improving service delivery in key sectors such as health, education, and transport.
Rwakabengo Ward’s newly elected Municipal Councillor, Patrick Natukunda, cited fear of job loss as another factor discouraging voters, particularly those employed by others, from participating in the polls.
“Long distances to polling stations and work-related obligations, especially for people employed far from their homes, also contributed to the low turnout,” Natukunda said. He called on the government to consider shortening the election period, suggesting that a single voting day could make it easier for workers to request time off and ultimately improve voter participation in future elections.
