Violent clashes, Missing names, delays, Bribery and confusion on the part of the presiding officers have been major feautures of the just concluded elections in South Buganda region.
In the districts of Kalungu, Lwengo, Sembabule, Masaka and Rakai, several people including candidates and Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogere, the former Katikiro of Buganda where shocked when they found their names missing.
Ssemwogere says he had to move to about five polling stations in Kinoni-Kiseeka Sub County Lwengo district, until he located his name at Kaboyo church of Uganda. He says his names could have been messed up to stop him from voting his candidate, Dr. Kizza Besigye.
He explains that he has always voted from Kinoni Catholic Church but was suspicious his name was transferred to Kaboyo to frustrate him.
In Sembabule, Dr.David Mushabe, the Mawagola county parliamentary independent candidate, was shocked when he found his name already ticked by unknown voters at Lutunku polling station, in Lugusulu Sub County.
Dr. Mushabe, who is contesting against Sam Kuteesa, the foreign affairs Minister says he had to demand an explanation from Latif Ngonzi, the Sembabule returning officer who after more than four hours of negotiation, allowed him to vote.
But in Masaka, Kalungu, Rakai, and Bukomansimbi districts, several voters were turned away and many shed tears due to missing on the voters registers.
Peter Mutesasira, the Masaka Municipality independent parliamentary candidate, says five of his five family members and wife have not voted because they did not appear anywhere on the voters registers.
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But Immaculate Namazzi, the Kalungu district returning officer, explains that some voters names went missing due to spelling errors. She claims that several voters had misspelt their names and had been given wrong codes which could not be detected by the computer.
Namazzi also attributes the problem to transfer of voters where some people failed to fully transfer from their homes to their work stations.
In some parts of Kalungu district, voting was suspended for sometime due election violence. Lukaya, Natitta, Lwabenge, Lwemiyaga, Lyantonde, are some of the areas which have registered violence.
According to police, some 7 supporters of Fred Badda, the Bujjumba county NRM candidate have been arrested for their alleged involvement in bribery and trying to stuff fake ticked ballot papers in favour of Badda.
But Fred Badda denies the allegations.
Irene Nakazibwe, the Kalungu Regroup election observer says although many people turned up for the polls, cases of violence marred the otherwise calm polls.
Polling has officially ended in this region and counting has begun.
