The ruling National Resistance Movement candidate in the Kyadondo East by-election flag bearer Sitenda Sebalu has finished casting his vote at Yogemu Primary School Polling Station in Masooli parish.
While speaking to media after casting his vote, Sebalu said he is sure the public will vote him to power because of the good things NRM has done as the area chooses a Member of Parliament after court nullified the 2016 results.
“I know the support NRM has in Kyadondo East is massive so am assured of a win. I also want to tell you that I will not go to any court because I have not seen any problem so far, no matter the results,” he said.
He urged voters to stay calm and stay at their respective polling stations until tallying and announcing of the winners is done.
Delayed voting
The exercise delayed to start by some minutes at some of the polling stations visited by Uganda Radio Network despite the timely delivery of voting materials.
Some of the polling stations visited by journalists include Luteete polling station, Wampeewo Day and Boarding School, Kasangati Muslim Primary School, Kasangati Cealth Centre, St Kizito primary school and Nangabo vocational Training Institute.
At Kasangati Muslim primary school, voting materials were delivered by 6:45am but the presiding officers were nowhere to receive them. Journalists saw a parked police vehicle with the voting materials waiting for the polling officials to arrive. As a result, voting started at 7:15am.
Although the voting materials arrived at St Kizito primary school by 5:40am, the polling assistant couldn’t set up the polling station due to lack of furniture since the classrooms were still locked.
St Kizito primary school hosts A and B polling stations. By 7:25am the polling assistants were only setting up the polling stations after securing furniture.
The voting materials at Nangabo Vocational Training Institute arrived in time, although voting didn’t start until after 7:20am because of the verification of the materials. At Gayaza COU Primary School voting started at about five minutes past 7am although the voting materials arrived in time.
Six candidates are vying to fill the vacant Kyadondo East MP seat. They include the former MP and Forum for Democratic Change Party Candidate Apollo Katinti, Sitenda Sebalu of the ruling NRM, and Independents Muwada Nkunyingi, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, Sowedi Kayongo Male and Edward Kasasa.
The Kyadondo East parliamentary seat fell vacant after the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the High Court nullifying the victory of Kantinti over non-compliance with electoral laws, disfranchising voters and failing to secure custody of election materials.
The ruling followed a successful petition by Sebalu who lost to Kantinti by a margin of 326 votes in the February 2016 parliamentary race.
