Ugandan Elections Disrupted After Kenyans Cross Border to Vote
Tension rocked Uganda’s ruling party grassroots elections on Wednesday after voting was disrupted in several villages near the Kenya-Uganda border. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party was forced to suspend the electoral process in parts of Buteba Sub-county, Busia District, after reports emerged that hundreds of Kenyans had crossed the border to participate in the vote.
According to Busia District NRM Chairperson Eric Masinga, elections were halted in four villages—Alupe, Amagoro, Abochet, and Okame—after confrontations broke out over foreign interference.
“We were strictly following the yellow book, so when some Kenyans crossed and insisted on voting, chaos broke out, leading to the cancellation of the voting process,” Masinga told reporters.
The affected region lies along the porous border separating Kenya and Uganda, where communities such as the Samia and Teso share cross-border family ties. These ethnic and cultural links have long complicated electoral integrity in border districts.
In the Eastern Division, the situation was particularly dire in Marachi D, Sofia A, and Sofia B, where reports indicated that some candidates ferried in Kenyan nationals to influence the vote. Although the chaos led to significant delays, voting eventually resumed after electoral officials agreed to modify the voting process.
“We tried using the yellow book, but candidates declined the procedures, and we had to allow people to line up without following the guidelines,” explained Linet Lilian Acheng, the NRM Party Registrar for the division.
Elsewhere, in Dabani Sub-county, elections were not held in Nangwe North, Nangwe South, and Shimitumba due to missing names in the voters’ register. The disorganisation further fueled frustration among local party members.
In Rukaka village, Busime Sub-county, tensions escalated as police were forced to fire warning shots in the air to disperse irate party members demanding answers over voter eligibility.
NRM party spokesperson Rogers Mulindwa confirmed that while many villages in Busia District were conducting peaceful polls, pockets of unrest persisted due to individuals attempting to vote without proper registration.
“I have been to a number of villages in Busia District, and voting is ongoing without major disruption, but there are a few cases of non-registered voters wanting to vote,” said Mulindwa.
The incident has sparked fresh debate over the integrity of party primaries in Uganda, especially in border areas where nationality and voter eligibility often blur. NRM officials have rescheduled voting in the affected villages for a later date, pending a thorough verification of the voters’ register.
In other news:Tragedy in Githurai: Several Feared Dead After Matatu Ploughs Into Roadside Vendors
Ugandan Elections Disrupted After Kenyans Cross Border to Vote