The Electoral Commission in Ntungamo District has begun training Biometric Voter Verification Kit (BVVK) operators and presiding officers, with polling assistants scheduled to undergo training next week, as preparations intensify ahead of the forthcoming polls.
More than 1,000 electoral officials are currently gathered at Ntungamo High School, where the training is being conducted, highlighting the scale of logistical and human resource preparations ahead of polling day.
Speaking at the training venue, Ntungamo District Election Administrator Elizabeth Namirembe said the Commission is prioritising strict compliance with biometric voter verification as a key measure to enhance the credibility of the electoral process.
"We are training BVVK operators and presiding officers. We have 813 presiding officers and 812 BVVK operators," Namirembe said.
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"This election cycle is not like the one we had in the past. We are going to ensure the mandatory use of the Biometric Voter Verification Kit."
She explained that the training places strong emphasis on equipping polling officials, particularly those handling the biometric machines, with the technical skills required to minimise errors and eliminate manual intervention during voting.
"We have to train our polling officials to make sure they ensure mandatory use of the machine. We want to avoid manual override. In this election cycle, biometric voter verification is mandatory," she added.
Namirembe further revealed that the Commission has deployed 15 trainers across the district, with three assigned to each constituency, noting that preparations are progressing steadily following the successful recruitment of polling officials.
"We are very prepared because we managed to recruit officials. We have already received the non-reusable materials, and we expect to receive the rest of the materials at the beginning of next week," she said.
On voter preparedness, Namirembe said the Commission is continuing with voter sensitisation efforts to ensure voters understand the requirements on polling day.
"When you come to the polling station, we expect you to come with a voter location slip or a national ID. If a voter does not have any of the two, we have a voter register--not for manual voting, but to verify those who don't have the two," she clarified.
Participants in the training welcomed the exercise, describing it as critical to delivering a credible election.
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Edison Kato, a supervisor from Itojo Sub-county, said the procedures being emphasised will help safeguard the integrity of the vote.
"Elections are going to be free and fair according to what we are doing," Kato said. "We are doing what we can to provide free and fair elections."
