NRM Primaries Marred by Violence, Irregularities, and Low Voter Turnout Across Uganda

Strategic Insights -

The voting process for sub-county chairpersons and councillors in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries has been plagued by incidents of violence, irregularities, and low voter turnout across various districts in Uganda. In Yumbe District, one person died and another was injured in a scuffle between supporters of rival candidates, while in Wakiso District, chaos erupted between rival supporters of Mr. Godfrey Mawejje and Mr. Moses Jaggwe, with agents of Jaggwe allegedly offering bribes to voters.

Key Takeaways:

  • In Yumbe District, one person was confirmed dead and another injured in a scuffle between supporters of rival candidates, Mr. Dalili Asega and his opponent, with the victim's brother later collapsing and dying at the scene.
  • In Wakiso District, chaos erupted between rival supporters of Mr. Godfrey Mawejje and Mr. Moses Jaggwe, with agents of Jaggwe allegedly offering bribes to voters, prompting police to deploy heavily to restore order.
  • In Kagadi District, voting was delayed due to the absence of some election officials and disagreements between NRM party leaders and registrars over alleged interference and disorder, with police engaging in running battles with supporters of rival candidates.
  • In Kasese District, eight incumbent sub-county chairpersons were unopposed, but voting materials were delayed at some polling stations, and voter bribery was reported.
  • In Kisoro District, voter turnout was low, but all essential materials for the electoral process were delivered to village election officers on time, with no major incidents reported.
  • In Kamwenge District, low voter turnout was recorded, with only 200 of the 683 registered voters participating in the primaries.
  • In Soroti District, voting began late due to NRM party members staying in their gardens harvesting groundnuts, resulting in low voter participation.
  • In Mpigi District, only 54 of the 841 registered voters turned up to participate in the NRM primaries, citing poor mobilization, internal conflicts among party leaders, and voters reserving their participation for the 2026 general elections.
  • In Mukono District, the primaries were marred by irregularities, low voter turnout, and allegations of interference, with reports of organised vote manipulation surfacing.

Statistics:

  • Low voter turnout was recorded in various districts, with only 54 of 841 registered voters participating in the NRM primaries in Mpigi District.
  • In Kamwenge District, only 200 of the 683 registered voters participated in the primaries, resulting in a voter turnout of less than 30%.
  • In Soroti District, voting began late due to NRM party members staying in their gardens harvesting groundnuts, resulting in low voter participation.
  • Eight incumbent sub-county chairpersons were unopposed in Kasese District.
  • Voter bribery was reported in Kasese District and Mpigi District.

Sources:

  • "NRM Primaries Marred by Violence, Irregularities, and Low Voter Turnout Across Uganda" (New Vision, August 14, 2023)
  • "Tension overshadows NRM polls in Yumbe" (Daily Monitor, August 15, 2023)
  • "Chaos erupts in Wakiso as police deployed to restore order" (ChimpReports, August 14, 2023)
  • "Kagadi District NRM registrar arrested for interfering with electoral process" (Monitor, August 14, 2023)
  • "Reports of organised vote manipulation surface in Mukono" (Daily Monitor, August 15, 2023)