Kayunga Returning Officer Calls for Calm Ahead of Tomorrow’s Women Council Elections

By Denis Mukisa

As Uganda prepares for the nationwide Women Council elections tomorrow, Kayunga District Returning Officer Ms. Elizabeth Namirembe has urged voters and candidates to maintain peace, warning that any disruptions could create deep and lasting divisions in tightly-knit communities.

Namirembe emphasised that, unlike national or parliamentary elections, Women Council polls are deeply personal because candidates and voters live side by side in the same villages. “All voters and candidates are from the same community. If people fight or interrupt the process, it creates hatred that lingers long after the election,” she said.

The district election team has been moving across sub-counties, sensitising communities and polling officials on the need for fairness, transparency, and order. Namirembe stressed the importance of punctuality, calling on voters to arrive early to prevent last-minute chaos at polling stations.

She warned that anyone attempting to destabilise the exercise would face the full force of the law.

Voting Process

Voting is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. with the reading of the voters’ register. This will be followed by the lining-up system, in which candidates stand in front of voters and supporters physically line up behind their preferred candidate.

Results will be declared immediately at each polling station once counting is completed. “Unlike presidential or parliamentary elections where results are tallied at central centres, winners here will be announced there and then,” Namirembe explained. The returning officer’s team will only supervise the process and handle any formal complaints.

The Women Council elections form a vital part of Uganda’s local governance structure, aimed at enhancing grassroots participation and ensuring women’s voices are heard in decision-making. The councils play a key role in advocating for women’s rights, promoting community development, and fostering social cohesion.

Authorities and observers say the smooth conduct of these elections will serve as a litmus test for the effectiveness of recent sensitisation campaigns and the ability of local leaders to manage tensions in close-knit rural communities.