By Ambrose Kweronda
www.mknewslink.com
In Rubanda—
Independent candidate Caleb Turyamutunga, Chairperson of the Kigezi Region Veterans Association, has been elected Local Council I (LC1) Chairperson for Rwere Village in Muyanje Ward, Bubare Town Council, Rubanda District, following a tense and delayed election.
Turyamutunga defeated National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate John Tumuhimbise after voting was disrupted by protests over missing names on the voters’ register.
According to the Electoral Commission’s election programme, voter education was scheduled to begin at 7:00 a.m., voting at 11:00 a.m., and vote counting between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon. However, by 11:30 a.m., voting had not started at Rwere Playground because the voters’ registers had not yet been delivered.
The delay sparked protests from voters who insisted they had registered. Some alleged that the register had been altered to disenfranchise eligible voters and favour one of the candidates.
Residents, including Godfrey Byamukama and Dan Elias Mutesigensi, questioned Electoral Commission officials after discovering that several registered voters’ names were missing from the final register. They demanded an explanation as to how voters who had participated in the mass voter registration exercise had been omitted.
Independent candidate Caleb Turyamutunga said election officials informed candidates that the registers appeared to have been tampered with, leading to the omission of several voters. He said the situation caused confusion and that polling officials were instructed to wait for guidance from the Rubanda District Electoral Commission before proceeding with the election.
NRM candidate John Tumuhimbise said he could not explain the delay in the arrival of the registers but noted that all stakeholders were awaiting official communication from the district electoral authorities on the way forward.
Polling assistant Hilary Muhumuza said that while collecting the voters’ register, he discovered that many names recorded during the voter register update exercise had not been included in the final register. He said the complaints were forwarded to the Parish Election Registrar, Laura Twekirize, for verification and resolution before polling could proceed.
Bubare Town Council LC5 Male Councilor Obed Mutatina Kitabutuka said tensions escalated at the polling station, prompting the intervention of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) to help resolve the situation.
Rubanda District Returning Officer Medard Nteziyaremye said there had been an attempt by unidentified individuals to steal the voters’ register. He said security agencies intervened, restored order and communicated with voters before directing officials to use the original register for verification.
The dispute prompted the intervention of Rubanda District Returning Officer Medard Nteziyaremye, Resident District Commissioner Ssenyonjo Kyeyune, police officers and personnel from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
Nteziyaremye appealed for calm and directed polling officials to produce the original voters’ register for verification.
Kyeyune also urged residents to remain peaceful, assuring them that the matter would be resolved.
Former Prime Minister and Presidential Special Envoy Ruhakana Rugunda, who arrived at the polling station during the standoff, also appealed to residents to remain calm and elect their village chairperson peacefully.
After the original register was produced, Nteziyaremye, assisted by police and UPDF personnel, supervised the verification exercise before voting resumed.
At the conclusion of the exercise, Caleb Turyamutunga was declared the winner with 127 votes, defeating John Tumuhimbise, who garnered 107 votes.
Tumuhimbise left the polling station immediately after the results were announced and declined to comment.
Speaking after his victory, Turyamutunga commended election officials for ordering the production of the original voters’ register, saying the decision restored public confidence in the electoral process.
He revealed that he had initially supported Tumuhimbise during the NRM party primaries but later contested as an independent after falling out with him, accusing his former ally of betrayal. He did not elaborate on the allegation.
Turyamutunga pledged to improve infrastructure and education, promote patriotism, support government programmes and fight corruption in the village.
Nteziyaremye said producing the original voters’ register was the most practical way to resolve the dispute and ensure a credible election.
He added that a similar challenge occurred in Rusikizi Village, where election officials used the same approach to resolve complaints over missing names.
Despite isolated challenges, including missing names on voters’ registers in parts of Rubanda Town Council, Nteziyaremye said village elections across the district were generally peaceful.