Uganda’s local government elections kicked off on Thursday amid low voter turnout and delayed starts at several polling stations, with many centres reporting empty queues hours after the official opening time.
The elections are being held to choose district chairpersons, councillors, city and municipal mayors, as well as the Lord Mayor of Kampala.
In parts of Kampala, particularly Nakawa Division, voting failed to start at the scheduled 7:00am time after election officials were unable to assemble the minimum number of voters required to witness the opening and verification of ballot materials. As a result, ballot boxes, registers and voting kits remained unused at some polling centres well into the morning.
A similar situation was reported in Luwero District, where only a few voters had turned up at some polling stations by mid-morning, forcing election officials to wait for turnout to improve before commencing voting.
The sluggish start follows the January 15 presidential and parliamentary elections, which recorded a voter turnout of about 52.5 percent — one of the lowest in decades. Analysts say the figures point to growing voter apathy and fatigue, particularly with local government polls coming just a week after the general elections.
Voter fatigue, scepticism cited
Political observers note that local government elections in Uganda have historically attracted lower participation compared to national contests. The pattern witnessed on Thursday, they argue, reflects continued voter fatigue and lingering scepticism among citizens about the impact of elections on governance and service delivery.
Despite the low early turnout, analysts emphasise that local government offices play a critical role in citizens’ daily lives. Councillors, mayors and district chairpersons oversee service delivery, urban planning, community representation and local development priorities.
Security presence
Security forces were deployed across Kampala and other urban centres ahead of the polls to maintain law and order. Police urged voters to participate peacefully and cautioned against actions that could disrupt the electoral process.
The Electoral Commission is expected to issue updates on voter turnout and any procedural challenges after polling closes. Vote counting and verification will begin once polls officially end later in the day.
