The exercise has been dogged with low turnout
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I There has been a low turn up of people coming for the voter register update at different parishes in Kawempe North on the second day of the exercise. The exercise is expected to end on February 10th, aiming at registering new voters and helping those who want to transfer their voting locations.Ivan Ssimbwa, the register update officer at Kawempe 1 parish stationed at Mbogo Primary School in Kawempe North, said that the turnout of people coming to update their registers has been very low on the first day.
Ssimbwa said that most of the people who visit their station are asking for information about national IDs, and they are directed to the appropriate place.
He also added that some people come to check their names in the register, which is not part of the ongoing exercise. Ssimbwa is optimistic that people will come in the following days after getting information from those who have visited. There has been a low turn up of people coming for the voter register update at different parishes in Kawempe North on the second day of the exercise. The exercise is expected to end on February 10th, aiming at registering new voters and helping those who want to transfer their voting locations.
Ivan Ssimbwa, the register update officer at Kawempe 1 parish stationed at Mbogo Primary School in Kawempe North, said that the turnout of people coming to update their registers has been very low on the first day.
Ssimbwa said that most of the people who visit their station are asking for information about national IDs, and they are directed to the appropriate place.
He also added that some people come to check their names in the register, which is not part of the ongoing exercise. Ssimbwa is optimistic that people will come in the following days after getting information from those who have visited.
Habari Daily reporters additionally discovered that low turn up has also been registered in Jinja City in Eastern Uganda. People we talked to blamed the low turn up on poor mobilisation by authorities.
Ssimbwa further explained that this exercise is taking place at the parish level, where people should come. Kawempe 1 parish has 7 villages, and residents of those villages are supposed to come to the parish office for the register update.
Fatima Namusisi Nambi, the updating officer at Kazo-Angola parish, mentioned that the turnout on the first day was very low, despite efforts by the local council chairpersons in Kazo-Angola parish, to mobilise residents. Kazo-Angola parish has 3 villages, which include Kazo-Angola, Corner Zone, and Lugoba. By press time, Namusisi had worked on 6 people, noting that others were only coming for information and then leaving.
Jane Francisca Nakaye, the LC 1 chairperson of Kazo-Angola Central, said that they had mobilized their people since Friday last week, although the turnout on the first day was still very low. Nakaye also appealed to the Electoral Commission to work with the LCs to carry out massive sensitization of the people.
Kawempe North has 9 parishes, which include Kawempe 1, Bwaise 1, Kazo-Angola, Kawempe II, Kanyanya, Kikaaya Kyebando, Komamboga, and Mpererwe.
Kawempe North is also set to hold a by-election this year following the death of the area Member of Parliament, Muhammad Ssegirinya, who passed away earlier this month.
