Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi has acknowledged significant technical challenges in the ongoing voter verification exercise led by the Electoral Commission, attributing the issues to outdated equipment procured nearly a decade ago.
During a parliamentary session, Kafuuzi revealed that the machines in use were purchased in 2014/2015 under the National Security Information System (NSIS) project and are now prone to frequent breakdowns.
“It is true that some technical problems have been reported in some stations,” Kafuuzi admitted. “The equipment was first procured for the 2014/2015 mass enrolment exercise. This explains the reported cases of breakdowns. Our teams have been on standby to respond to any reported malfunctions.”
However, lawmakers voiced grave concerns about the effectiveness of the exercise. Obongi County MP George Bokha criticized operational inefficiencies, citing inadequate machines, unreliable power supply, and lengthy delays at registration centers.
“In my observation, it was one old machine being used while parish electoral officers waited,” Bokha said. “In districts without electricity, they relied on a battery that needed recharging every two hours. The community feedback was clear: more machines are needed, and the exercise should be conducted at the parish level as planned.”
Basil Bataringaya, MP for Kashari North, questioned why the government had not leveraged existing resources, such as equipment used during the recent national census by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).
“With only 2,703 kits available for 10,595 parishes, this is clearly inadequate,” Bataringaya noted. “People are forced to commute long distances, and with each person taking an average of 10 minutes to register, it’s unlikely this exercise will be completed in time.”
Margaret Ayebare, the Mbarara District Woman Representative, highlighted the slow pace of registration during her visit to Mbarara district headquarters.
“I witnessed large crowds of people who couldn’t be served due to the slow process,” Ayebare said. “The girl operating the machine told me they could only process 50 people per day.”
Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze sharply criticized the government, calling the exercise poorly planned and underfunded.
“With 2,703 kits for 10,595 parishes, this is a drop in the sea,” Nambooze remarked. “The Minister’s statement is full of misinformation and lacking in solutions.”
Outside Parliament, Joseph Kabuleta, President of the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED), also slammed the government for what he described as failed leadership in organizing the voter registration process.
Kabuleta criticized the timing of the exercise, which comes just a year before the 2026 general elections, as rushed and exclusionary. He pointed to several issues, including the exclusion of Ugandans in the diaspora, the disenfranchisement of youth who recently turned 18, and confusion surrounding new constituencies.
“This rushed exercise seems designed to serve the interests of the incumbent president,” Kabuleta said. He further called for a “counter-revolution” to address what he described as systemic flaws in Uganda’s governance.
The voter verification exercise, critical for updating the national register ahead of the 2026 elections, continues to face mounting pressure from lawmakers, citizens, and civil society to resolve the logistical and technical hurdles threatening its credibility.
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