Uganda’s recent local elections have faced problems after officials cancelled results in several villages. This happened because some people from Kenya crossed the border and voted illegally. Uganda’s Electoral Commission said that elections in at least five villages in Busia and Tororo districts were stopped after they found out that non-Ugandan citizens voted.
Reports say that hundreds of Kenyans crossed into Uganda to vote in the Local Council V (LCV) chairperson elections. These local elections are very important in Uganda, especially in border areas where families and communities live on both sides of the border.
Justice Simon Byabakama, head of Uganda’s Electoral Commission, said, “We have clear evidence that people who are not Ugandans voted in some areas. This affects the fairness of the elections, so we must cancel the results in those places.”
Local leaders and groups that watch elections are very worried. They are asking for tighter border controls and a careful check of the voter lists. “This is not just a small problem—it’s a danger to our country’s independence,” said Sarah Nambooze, an election observer. “We want answers from the election officials and the security forces.”
Ugandan police are now investigating how this happened and if any local politicians helped bring in voters from Kenya. Some candidates are suspected of encouraging people from across the border to vote for them.
The cancellations have caused anger in the affected villages. Some people have protested, saying they do not want outsiders to interfere in their elections. More security forces have been sent to these areas to keep peace while new elections are being planned.
This issue could also cause problems between Uganda and Kenya. Both countries are usually friendly but have had disagreements about border control in the past.
As Uganda prepares to hold fresh elections in these villages, many people are watching to see if the voting process will be fair this time and limited to Ugandan citizens only.
