By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The opposition political party, FDC, has condemned the fraudulent inflation in the ongoing display and verification of the national voters’ register in preparation for the 2026 elections.
While addressing journalists at their headquarters in Najjanankumbi, the deputy publicity secretary of FDC in charge of publication and documentation, Mulindwa Walid Lubaga, alleged that some officials in the electoral commission have removed names of the voters they suspect to be supporters of the opposition political parties, as well as transferred some voters from their initial polling stations to different new polling stations.
“We have received information about the deletion of opposition, perceived opposition supporters from the voters register, as well as irregular transfer of voters from their traditional polling stations very far away from where they have been traditionally voting from,” Walid alleged.
According to Walid, this attempt is intended to take away citizens’ voting rights in pursuit of free and fair and verifiable elections.
FDC further alleged that at some of the polling areas, there are names of voters which were included in the register, yet they are not known in those communities something he says violates the law.
“Rhino Camp polling Station A, in Madi Okolo District among others have seen inexplicable surges in voter numbers to over 1000 or 1500 new voters. We consider these actions fraudulent and fictitious,” he said. ” Typically, a polling station shouldn’t have more than 800 registered voters, however, we’ve found numerous instances where polling stations have so far exceeded this number, with some reaching over 1,000, 12000 and more which is alarming and unacceptable.”
The party also condemned the interference by security forces during the voter register update and display exercise, threatening to take legal actions if the EC doesn’t take immediate corrective measures to address these malpractices.
“We are considering petitioning the Chairman of Electoral Commission to present to the attention of the Commission these malpractices in a detailed manner,” said FDC.
In related stories, the interim leader of the embattled People’s Front for Freedom, an FDC faction of Katonga has proposed the suspension of the entire exercise over lack of transparency, and called for a stakeholders meeting with the EC to find the way forward.
“As PFF, we demand that this exercise be suspended. It’s our demand. The Electoral Commission should call it off because it has turned out to be a fuss. It has turned out to be a total flop,” said Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, the PFF interim President.
Lukwago was addressing journalists at their headquarters along Katonga road Kampala, when he said that the electoral commission was not prepared for this exercise, citing various complaints of low turn up by EC officials involved in this exercise.
“Key stakeholders in this exercise (political parties) have no space to participate in this exercise,” Lukwago argued, doubting the transparency of the 2026 electoral processes.
“You can’t have a free and fair election when you don’t have a clean register which has been properly generated. It’s definitely not possible,” Lukwago maintained.
According to PFF, the Electoral Commission should engage with stakeholders to raise awareness and sensitize the population about electoral activities.
The 21-days exercise for update and display of national voters’ register and display of register for Special Interest Groups (SIGs) started on April 25, in 38,315 out of 38,935 polling stations nationwide and is scheduled to conclude on May 15, and May 8, 2025, respectively.
Speaking to journalists at the commencement of the exercise, the EC Chairperson Justice Simon Mugyenyi Byabakama disclosed that 620 polling were not going to begin the exercise due to technical issues encountered during the production of the registers.
However, on Monday 5th April, 2025, announced that they have already dispatched the registers to the affected areas. The commission noted that the polling stations will have 21 days for voters to check, verify, and confirm their details, photographs and other particulars in the register.
