Africa-Press – Uganda. Outrage has erupted in Manyi Sub-county, Busujju County, after dozens of youth affiliated with the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) were barred from participating in local youth elections.
The affected candidates and voters allege that the Mityana District Electoral Commission deliberately removed their names from the official register in a calculated move to deny them the right to vote or contest.
According to James Ssebuguzi, a NUP youth leader who was vying for the position of Maanyi Sub-county youth chairperson, several candidates had already been nominated and had successfully contested in earlier stages at the village level.
However, on reaching the sub-county headquarters for the next round, they found their names missing from the final list.
“We went through the nomination process and won at the village level. But when we got here, they told us we were not on the list,” said Ssebuguzi.
“This wasn’t an accident. It was planned.”
The elections began at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, with youth representatives from multiple villages gathering to vote. But the exercise quickly turned controversial.
According to eyewitnesses, the polling venue was under unusually tight security, and election officials had introduced new computer equipment that had not been used in previous elections.
“They brought computers and claimed it was a new system, but we were never informed. It looked like a coordinated scheme to lock us out,” Ssebuguzi added.
As the presiding officer John Kwizeza read out candidates’ names, frustration mounted. NUP candidates were missing from the list, while those affiliated with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) were all present and cleared.
When questioned, Kwizeza attributed the omissions to a “system error”—a response that only deepened suspicions of bias.
“We asked him for answers, but he had none. He kept repeating it was a system issue. But how does a system glitch only affect opposition candidates?” one protester asked.
As tensions escalated, some youths attempted to halt the voting process, accusing the officials of collusion. But Kwizeza insisted the process continue, triggering further anger from the excluded participants.
NUP leaders in Busujju County swiftly condemned the incident, accusing the Electoral Commission of deliberate sabotage.
“What we’re witnessing is a dangerous attempt to silence young voices,” said Shakib Ssazi, the NUP registrar for Busujju Constituency. “Blocking youth from participating in leadership decisions today sends a message that their voice doesn’t matter.”
Similar incidents were reported in Butayunja and Malangala sub-counties, where NUP supporters also claimed their names were missing from voter registers.
In Malangala, voting proceeded under heavy security following earlier complaints by opposition youth.
Busujju County has emerged as a center of youth political mobilization in recent years, and the exclusion of NUP-aligned candidates from this electoral process has fueled concerns about systemic disenfranchisement and lack of transparency.
“This is more than just a sub-county election,” Shakib said. “It speaks to a national crisis of credibility in our electoral system.”
As Uganda moves toward future electoral cycles, the suppression of youth participation—particularly among opposition supporters—continues to raise pressing questions about the fairness, inclusivity, and legitimacy of democratic institutions in the country.
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