Museveni’s Party Cancels Elections After Kenyans Sneak to Vote

A section of Kenyans has allegedly been caught participating in the grassroots elections of Uganda’s ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) led by Uganda President Yoweri Museveni, which has caused chaos in parts of the country.

The situation was highlighted by Eric Masiga, the NRM Chairperson for Busia District, who confirmed that polls in several villages were cancelled due to the alleged participation of Kenyans.

“We were strictly following the yellow book, but when some Kenyans crossed the border and insisted on voting, chaos broke out, leading to the cancellation of the voting process,” Mr. Masiga stated.

The regions most affected by this chaos include Buteba Sub County and the Eastern Division.

Kenyans Accused of Participating in NRM Elections

In the Eastern Division, the villages most impacted by the situation include Marachi D, Sofia A, and Sofia B. In these areas, the voting process was delayed amid allegations that some candidates brought in hundreds of Kenyan nationals to vote, although the process eventually resumed.

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In Buteba Sub County, the grassroots elections were called off in four villages: Amagoro, Alupe, Okame, and Abochet, after reports indicated that a group of Kenyans domiciled in the Teso South region crossed the border to participate in the NRM elections.

Masiga mentioned that voting in the impacted villages had been postponed and would now take place the next day.

Opposition Leader Alleges There is Recruitment of Voters from Uganda

Eastern Division NRM Party Registrar Linet Lilian Acheng stated that despite the disruptions, elections proceeded after candidates reached an agreement on the voting method.

“We attempted to use the yellow books, but candidates declined the procedure, so we had to allow people to line up without following the guidelines,” she explained.

Kenya and Uganda share several communities, especially along the border, making it easy for residents in border areas to cross to either side and attempt to vote during elections.

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Allegations of border communities influencing electoral outcomes have been reported not only in Uganda but also in Kenya.

In the lead-up to the 2017 general elections, NASA flag bearer Raila Odinga claimed that the National Intelligence Service was illegally registering voters from Uganda and Ethiopia to influence the outcome of the general election.

In his statement, Odinga indicated that Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits were being taken to neighboring countries to allow foreigners to register as voters.

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