Voting in the Masaka mayoral elections has kicked of well this morning. Reports from the town indicate that polling stations opened on time, election materials were available and several people turned up early to vote.
The heavy police deployment which characterized the presidential, parliamentary and LC5 votes in Masaka has been significantly reduced today. At some polling stations visited before 8:30 a.m. there were no police constables and the situation was calm and peaceful.
Not everyone is happy about the absence of the police, however.
At Bata Fel polling station in Masaka's central business district Ali Golooba, one of the voters, demanded that the presiding officer explain the lack of a police constable to protect the area. Golooba said he feared that people with ill intentions could gain access to the voting area in order to rig the elections.
The presiding officer could not explain why no police were on hand.
The need for police constables was evident at Town Yard polling station when George Agire, one of the voters, noticed that the presiding officer was tearing off multiple ballot papers at a time.
Agire accused the presiding officer, Hakin Kyaluzi of attempting to rig the elections. A mini-scuffle ensued and it was only with the intervention of the constable that the conflict was resolved.
Kyaluzi said he was removing multiple ballot papers to prepare for other voters waiting in line.
There are five people contesting to be elected as the next mayor of Masaka. They are Godfrey Kayemba of the Forum for Democratic Change, Charles Kasibante of the Democratic Party, William Kalumba of the National Resistance Movement and two independent candidates – Badru Namuyimba and Deogracious Luwukya.
The Masaka mayoral race is tight, with no clear candidate in the lead.
The race was flung open when the long-serving mayor, John Tibyasa Matovu, retired for mental health reasons. His deputy, Charles Kasibante, took over from him as acting mayor.
Kasibante has the backing of the large Democratic Party following in Masaka and as acting mayor, he was able to display his capacity to hold the seat. However he faces a tough contest from Godfrey Kayemba, who though listed as the official candidate of the Forum for Democratic Change, is seen as a uniting factor for opposition parties in Masaka.
Support in the National Resistance Movement is also divided. Both Badru Namuyimba and William Kalumba contested for the party nomination in the NRM. Kalumba won the election amidst considerable protest from Namuyimba's camp.
Defying the party that he has served for many years, Namuyimba opted to stand as an independent candidate.
Namuyimba, a three-time mayoral candidate, is counting on support from the Muslim community in Masaka. He served as chairperson of the Masaka Muslim League and wields considerable influence among the Muslim business sector in the municipality.
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