Elections delayed in Masindi after miometric machines fail
He criticized the failure of biometric machines and the internet shutdown, saying they hindered communication with party agents and delayed the voting process, which he described as a form of voter manipulation.
Masindi: Voting for presidential and parliamentary candidates in Masindi District was delayed on election day after biometric voter verification machines failed to function across the district.
Although the Electoral Commission (EC) dispatched polling materials to stations by 7:00 a.m., voting could not commence as scheduled due to the malfunctioning machines. The exercise eventually began around 9:00 a.m. after officials resorted to using the national voter registers.
Charles Kwebiiha, a voter at Kigezi Catholic Church Polling Station, said he arrived at the station by 7:00 a.m. to cast his vote but was disappointed by the delay caused by the non-functional biometric machines. He appealed to the EC to allow voting using the registers instead of prolonging the exercise.
Similarly, Emmanuel Asiimwe, a resident of Kyabaswa and voter at Isimba Kyabaswa Polling Station, said voters had turned up as early as 6:30 a.m. but were inconvenienced by the failure of the machines until officials decided to proceed using the registers.
Justine Kanoni, also a voter at Kigezi Catholic Church Polling Station, said although voting was delayed, she was relieved when the exercise eventually commenced.
Julius Mugisa, an aspirant for Member of Parliament for Buruli County, said he managed to cast his vote despite the delays. However, he expressed concern that the absence of biometric verification could allow some individuals to vote on behalf of others.
Steven Wandera, who is vying for the Masindi Municipality parliamentary seat on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, said candidates had done their part during the campaign period and were now waiting for the final results from the EC. He criticized the failure of biometric machines and the internet shutdown, saying they hindered communication with party agents and delayed the voting process, which he described as a form of voter manipulation.
When contacted, Masindi District EC Returning Officer Gustavus Kakaire confirmed that the biometric machines failed to operate and that the commission received a presidential directive instructing officials to use the national voter registers. He added that the EC’s ICT team would ensure the machines are fully operational before the next election.
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