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challenges in the ongoing voter verification exercise led by the Electoral Commission, attributing the issues to outdated equipment procured nearly a decade ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is true that some technical problems have been reported in some stations,\u201d Kafuuzi admitted. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn my observation, it was one old machine being used while parish electoral officers waited,\u201d Bokha said. \u201cIn 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith only 2,703 kits available for 10,595 parishes, this is clearly inadequate,\u201d Bataringaya noted. \u201cPeople are forced to commute long distances, and with each person taking an average of 10 minutes to register, it\u2019s unlikely this exercise will be completed in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Margaret Ayebare, the Mbarara District Woman Representative, highlighted the slow pace of registration during her visit to Mbarara district headquarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI witnessed large crowds of people who couldn\u2019t be served due to the slow process,\u201d Ayebare said. \u201cThe girl operating the machine told me they could only process 50 people per day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze sharply criticized the government, calling the exercise poorly planned and underfunded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith 2,703 kits for 10,595 parishes, this is a drop in the sea,\u201d Nambooze remarked. \u201cThe Minister\u2019s statement is full of misinformation and lacking in solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis rushed exercise seems designed to serve the interests of the incumbent president,\u201d Kabuleta said. He further called for a \u201ccounter-revolution\u201d to address what he described as systemic flaws in Uganda\u2019s governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4o<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2270,"featured_media":39300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[356,458],"tags":[8944,31,8943,275],"class_list":["post-39298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-big-story","category-featured","tag-fear","tag-featured","tag-kafuuzi","tag-parliament"],"yoast_head":"\n