The Electoral Commission (EC) in Kiira Region, covering the Busoga sub-region, has convened a regional stakeholders' meeting ahead of next week's general elections, reaffirming its commitment to delivering a transparent, credible and peaceful electoral process.
The meeting, held in Jinja City, brought together key electoral partners, including media practitioners, political party representatives, civil society organisations, religious leaders and security agencies.
Discussions focused on election preparedness, procedures before, during and after polling day, and the use of election materials and technology aimed at enhancing accountability.
Addressing the gathering, the Kiira Regional Elections Officer, Deo Natukunda, said the use of Biometric Voter Verification Kits (BVVKs) will be mandatory at all polling stations.
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"No one shall be allowed to vote without undergoing verification through the Biometric Voter Verification Kits, and all ballot papers shall be scanned before being issued to voters," Natukunda said.
He explained that the technology is intended to eliminate electoral malpractices such as ballot stuffing and multiple voting, which have featured prominently in previous election petitions.
Natukunda assured stakeholders that the systems in place are designed to guarantee a free and fair election.
Stakeholders were also sensitised on the roles and responsibilities of polling officials, including presiding officers, polling constables, polling agents and supervisors.
Natukunda noted that an official report book will be used to record all events at each polling station on polling day.
"Presiding officers will be required to record every incident that occurs at the polling station. These report forms are fitted with QR codes which will be scanned for accountability and proper record-keeping," he said.
He added that mandatory witness forms, which must be signed by ten voters before voting begins, will also be scanned to confirm that voters belong to the respective polling station.
To address mistakes by voters, Natukunda said provisions have been made to issue a fresh ballot paper in cases where the first one is spoiled before being cast.
On vote counting and results management, he explained that all ballot papers will be scanned before counting starts to confirm they are the same ballots earlier issued at that polling station.
Declaration of Results forms will also be scanned and customised with the names of candidates to prevent tampering or substitution.
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"Each candidate will have their name pre-printed on their Declaration of Results forms, eliminating any possibility of swapping results," Natukunda said.
The EC IT Support Officer for Jinja City, Khasim Bassajjabalaba, told stakeholders that the BVVK system has been configured to further curb malpractice by directly linking biometric verification to ballot scanning.
"No election official will be able to scan multiple ballot papers without first scanning the voter's biometrics, or vice versa," Bassajjabalaba said.
He added that each district has been assigned IT personnel to quickly respond to any technical challenges that may arise during polling.
During the meeting, the Assistant Vicar of Christ's Cathedral Bugembe, Rev David Munobwa, sought clarification on circumstances under which a voter may be issued a fresh ballot paper and the availability of backup BVVKs in case of technical failure.
In response, Bassajjabalaba explained that BVVKs operate using smart cards that store voter and ballot data, allowing continuity even when a device is replaced.
"It is like a SIM card. When your phone gets spoiled, your mobile money balance remains the same when you insert the SIM card into another phone. That is how the BVVK works," he said.
He also assured stakeholders that scanning voter locator slips takes less than four seconds, adding that the system has been tested and proven efficient.
Stakeholders welcomed the enhanced electoral safeguards and called for continued cooperation among all actors to ensure a credible and peaceful election process in Kiira Region.
