Uganda Electoral Commission: Kanoni Residents Warn Over Election Postponements

After repeated postponements of the Kanoni LC1 chairperson election, angry residents are warning of possible violence if the Electoral Commission fails to conduct tomorrow's vote as promised. For nearly two months, residents of Kanoni Town Council in Gomba District have been waiting to elect a village chairperson, but repeated disruptions and postponements have left the race unresolved. Now, with the Electoral Commission promising that the election will finally take place tomorrow, September 23, residents say they are demanding only one thing: an election. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn They are, however, warning that another cancellation could trigger violence in the community, with some residents openly threatening physical confrontations, destruction of property and attacks on the homes of those they blame for the prolonged impasse. The residents have directed their concerns at Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, whom they say they have already contacted over the repeated postponements. Kanoni is the only village in Gomba District where the LC1 chairperson election remains unresolved, according to the residents. The dispute dates back to July 28, when Uganda conducted elections for village chairpersons across the country. The Electoral Commission had scheduled polling in 71,214 villages, with voting conducted by lining behind candidates, their representatives, portraits or symbols. The commission later announced repeat polling in villages where voting had failed because of chaos, violence or disruption, setting August 1 for such areas where the voters' register remained intact. In Kanoni, residents say voting initially began peacefully, with supporters of incumbent chairperson Abel Wasswa Mukatuliki and independent candidate John Katweere turning up at the polling station. They claim the situation changed when it became apparent that Mukatuliki was receiving fewer voters than Katweere. "On July 28, we went to the polling station and voting started peacefully. Mukatuliki's supporters joined us and voted, but when he realised that there were few people on his line, he left and the process was disrupted," the residents said. The Electoral Commission subsequently asked voters to return the following day for a fresh vote, according to the residents. They claim Mukatuliki and his supporters did not turn up on July 29, leading to another cancellation and the setting of August 1 as a new polling date. The residents say they again gathered at Kanoni Government Health Centre on August 1, but the election was called off after Mukatuliki reportedly failed to appear. Another polling date was set for August 14. The residents say the same pattern followed, with Mukatuliki again absent. Ivan Munanura, the Electoral Commission's Gomba District Returning Officer, reportedly told them that the commission would communicate another date. By then, frustration had begun to build among residents who say they could not understand why the election continued to be postponed. The residents also accuse Mukatuliki, who they say has led Kanoni for nearly 40 years, of continuing to use the village stamp despite the failure to conclude a fresh election. They say this has raised fears over transactions involving village properties. "It is painful that Mukatuliki has been left with our village stamp even though his term ended. We are worried because some of our houses have been mortgaged to banks and our plots have been involved in unclear transactions," the residents said. The residents say the Electoral Commission subsequently announced September 17 as another polling date, but claim the election again did not take place because Mukatuliki failed to appear. They then approached Byabakama and presented their concerns. According to the residents, the commission assured them that September 23 would be the final date for the election. They now say they want the commission to honour that commitment. "What