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Yoweri Museveni

KAMPALA. — Ugandans head to the polls today, with incumbent President Yoweri Museveni expected to win the election as projected by all major opinion polls.

Meanwhile, police spokesperson Fred Enanga has asked the public to report any form of intimidation meted out on them by anyone to the police team that will be patrolling the polling stations.

“Please make use of the police. We want to ensure that there is not any form of violence that can disrupt the election process and we want voters to avoid any illegal activities which can influence the process,” Enanga said.

While addressing a Press briefing at the central police station, Enanga asked the public to desist from involving themselves in activities which will disrupt voting.

He said prohibited activities such as electioneering, wearing party T-shirts, chanting party slogans and songs, carrying party flags and banners, destroying election documents, making a gathering within 100 metres from the polling station, will be investigated and the culprits will be brought to book.

Other prohibited activities are sale of ballot papers, voting more than once, personation, distribution of leaflets, bribery, carrying of arms and ammunition within one kilometre from the polling station and the use of voice transmitters by police.

Enanga reassured the public that they should not be scared of the Kifesi gang and the B13 saying that they have dismantled and arrested their ring leaders.

He said the B13 group which has been operating at bodaboda stages in Kasubi and Bweyogerere had been dismantled and its commanders, Dan Sserumaga, Robert Karubawo, Herbert Muteso and Hassan Mugisha are in custody and had been charged with aggravated robbery.

In a related development, the head of the Commonwealth election observers and former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo has promised that his team will not succumb to any “pressure” to write lopsided reports about today’s national polls to suit partisan interests.

“The Commonwealth election observers’ team is not here to serve partisan interests. I am not going to sell my soul to satisfy anyone or anything,” Obasanjo said.

The former leader of Africa’s most populous nation implored Ugandans to turn out in large numbers at polling stations to cast their votes because the language and contents of the reports will be shaped by the voters’ response and conduct of the process.

“There is no law against voting in this country and all those who want to vote should come in big numbers to cast their votes. At the end of the day, we want to deliver the report as we see the process,” he added.

He was addressing the Press in Kampala on Tuesday.

However, the ex-leader noted that although observers play a significant role in an election, they cannot overturn verdicts of the electoral commissions.

“We can state what we have seen but we cannot change the results declared. We are only observers; we cannot neither stop voting nor the counting of results and declaration,” said the 79 year old former head of state. — New Vision.