Polls have opened in Uganda’s presidential and parliamentary elections, though voting has been disrupted by logistical delays in many parts of the country amid an internet shutdown.
In the morning, the BBC observed growing frustration among voters queuing at some polling stations in the capital, Kampala, where voting had yet to start.
The delays have been blamed on failures of biometric identification kits, which some have linked to the network outage, as well as a lack of equipment in some places.
The electoral agency has apologised for the “technical glitches” and said officials were working to resolve them.
Voters in parts of the capital, Kampala, found polling stations still not open a hour after voting was due to start
In the presidential race, Yoweri Museveni, 81, in power since 1986, is seeking a seventh successive victory as he faces a challenge from a charismatic pop star.
Where voting has been taking place, there are reports that the biometric machines used to verify voters’ identities are still malfunctioning in some areas.
“Some biometric machines are not working. I don’t know if it’s the internet,” a ruling party official told AFP news agency.
Delays have also been caused by polling materials and equipment failing to arrive at some stations on time.
“We arrived early at the polling station, but the voting equipment has not yet arrived,” a voter in Kampala told state-run UBC TV.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, electoral chief Simon Byabakama ordered the use of the national voters’ register where biometric machines failed to function.
“It is the primary duty of the Electoral Commission to ensure that no citizen is disenfranchised due to machine failure,” said Byabakama.
The problems appear to be both affecting areas that are seen as pro-government as well as areas that are seen as pro-opposition.
The country’s law allows polling hours to be extended if challenges disrupt the voting process.
“Polling stations will remain open until all registered voters in the queue by 4:00 pm have cast their votes,” added Byabakama.
The presidential poll is essentially a two-horse race between Museveni and singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, but given the president has won the six previous elections, analysts say he is likely to further extend his time in power.
Wine, 43, has promised to tackle corruption and impose sweeping reforms, while Museveni argues he is the sole guarantor of stability and progress in the country.
The campaign period was marred by the disruption of opposition activities – security forces have been accused of assaulting and detaining Wine’s supporters.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke dismissed these complaints, accusing opposition supporters, particularly those belonging to Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) party, of being disruptive.
Internet access had been suspended ahead of voting day, with Uganda’s Communications Commission saying a blackout was necessary to prevent misinformation, fraud and the incitement of violence – a move condemned by the UN human rights office as “deeply worrying”.
The NUP has rejected this explanation, accusing the regulator of trying to stop the opposition from mobilising and sharing evidence of election fraud.
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