Wakiso District — The declaration of councillors’ election results in Nansana and Nabweru sub-counties, Wakiso District, was on Tuesday suspended following protests by candidates disputing the tallying and submission of results.
The interruption brought the electoral process to a standstill for between four and five hours, as candidates contesting various councillor positions demanded clarification from electoral officials over what they described as irregularities in the announced figures. The delay affected what would have been the declaration of results for the 14th sub-county in Wakiso District.
Trouble began when candidates who were expected to be declared winners faced strong resistance from their rivals, who positioned themselves before the Returning Officer to challenge the results being read out. The situation quickly escalated as objections poured in from multiple candidates.
Out of the six elective councilor positions in the affected areas, results for five positions were contested, placing the Returning Officer and his team in a difficult and tense situation. Electoral officials were forced to halt proceedings as tempers flared inside the tally Centre.
Several candidates opposing the results were visibly angry, with emotions running high. Some struggled to even state their names clearly as they accused electoral officials of altering outcomes during the tallying process.
“We won fair and square, yet the results submitted are different from what we have,” some candidates protested, insisting that their declaration forms did not match figures announced at the tally Centre.
The protests soon turned into counter-accusations. Two candidates who openly identified themselves and opposed the results were accused by their rivals of bribing polling officials in an attempt to influence the outcome of the vote. The claims further complicated efforts to resolve the dispute.
Addressing the tense situation, Wakiso District Returning Officer Tolbert Musinguzi said the declaration of results had been halted to allow time for verification and resolution of all complaints.
“I have asked them to go and sit in the tent so that there is ample time to resolve the issue,” Musinguzi said. He added that no results would be declared until all grievances had been addressed in accordance with electoral procedures.
Similar scenes were witnessed in Nabweru Sub-county, where candidates who had earlier been announced as winners also faced stiff opposition from their competitors, who challenged the legitimacy of the results.
Shortly after candidates exited the tally Centre auditorium, fights broke out among rival supporters, prompting police and army officers to intervene to restore order. Security personnel quickly moved in to disperse the crowds and prevent the situation from escalating further.
The incident follows a recent occurrence involving one Josephine Namanda, who protested the declaration of her opponent as winner, claiming that the declared candidate had actually finished third. Unlike the current candidates in Nansana and Nabweru, Namanda raised her concerns after the declaration had already been made.
That earlier protest also descended into chaos outside the tally Centre, forcing police to disperse crowds using tear gas.
Electoral officials have since urged candidates and their supporters to remain calm as complaints are reviewed, warning that disruptions and violence could undermine the credibility of the electoral process.
