By BM
The Wakiso District Electoral Commission (EC) has strongly denied allegations made by several political candidates, claiming that their names were removed from the National Voter Register ahead of the 2026 general elections.
This follows a wave of concern stirred by Edith Nakazibwe, an aspiring LCV Woman Councilor representing Bussi Sub-county, who on Wednesday expressed outrage upon learning that her name could not be traced in the voter registry.
Nakazibwe challenged the Electoral Commission to account for what she described as an “unacceptable and suspicious” omission.
“I was shocked and disappointed,” she said. “I have a National Identification Number (NIN), and I am a registered voter. Why is my name missing from the system now, at such a critical moment?”
However, Wakiso District Presiding Officer Tolbert Musinguzi swiftly moved to calm tensions, attributing the issue to a temporary technical glitch.
According to Musinguzi, the system encountered a network failure that caused names to briefly disappear from the digital registry, a problem he says has since been resolved.
“There is absolutely no way someone with a valid NIN can be removed from the register,” Musinguzi stated. “What happened was a system slowdown due to network problems. All affected entries have now been restored. We urge candidates to stop spreading false news that may mislead the public or tarnish the EC’s image.”
Amidst EC’s statement, there is still a growing skepticism among some candidates and their supporters, who argue that the “glitch” raises deeper questions about transparency and voter data integrity.
The controversy unfolded as the EC officially began nominations for District and City Chairpersons, Lord Mayors, and Councillors.
The process kicked off in Wakiso on September 3, beginning with aspirants from Entebbe Municipality, Busiro South, and Makindye Ssabagabo. Nominations continued on September 4 for candidates from Nansana Municipality, Busiro East, and Busiro North, with Kyadondo East and Kira Municipality scheduled for the next day.
Among the notable candidates who had picked nomination forms by press time were Ian Kyeyune of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and Flavia Nakafeero of the Democratic Front (DF) both vying for the hotly contested position of Wakiso District LCV Chairperson.
Kyeyune, who previously held the office, has pledged to focus on education, health services, environmental protection, and road infrastructure if elected.
But while the nomination process moves forward, tensions are rising within the NRM over another contentious development, the Kampala Lord Mayor race.
Muhammad Ssendagire, a member of the NRM and former aspirant in the party primaries, has filed a petition in the Constitutional Court challenging the nomination of Moses Kizito Nsubuga as the party’s flagbearer for Kampala Lord Mayor.
This follows a decision by the NRM Electoral Tribunal to nullify Mahad Kaweesa’s earlier victory and hand the flag to Nsubuga, sparking internal outrage.
Ssendagire has accused senior NRM officials, including Hajjati Hadijah Namyalo, head of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), of engineering the reversal and mismanaging the party’s electoral process.
“This is not about just one candidate. It’s about fairness and restoring confidence in how our party handles elections,” Ssendagire said, adding that the internal party chaos threatens to weaken the NRM’s position ahead of the 2026 elections.
With just over a year to the general elections, the EC is now facing mounting pressure to assure the public of its neutrality, preparedness, and technical capacity to manage the massive electoral exercise ahead.
For now, the Commission insists that all systems are stable, and no candidate or voter should fear disenfranchisement.
“We are on track, and our systems are functioning normally,” Musinguzi emphasized. “We call upon all stakeholders to remain calm and report any concerns through official channels.
The EC is here to serve all Ugandans, and the integrity of this election is our top priority.”
