Voting is underway in Ruhama Ntungamo district as people elect a member of parliament, following the death of their legislator William Beijukye Zinkuratire in November 2017.
Since Monday, there has been a heavy police and military deployment in the area. Police officers and detectives were reportedly drawn from Mbarara, Isingiro and Ibanda districts to secure the elections under the leadership of the Rwizi Regional Police Commander, Robert Walugembe.
Presence of the police and military officers is visible on all major roads in the constituency, sub county headquarters and trading centers. There are also water cannons and police fire trucks driving around Ntungamo town and Ntungamo-Mirama hills road.
This morning, voting delayed to start at several polling stations despite the timely delivery of voting materials. Delays were witnessed at polling stations in Rweikiniro, Ntungamo, Nyakyera and Itojo sub counties.
At Kahunga polling station in Ntungamo Sub County, voting started at 8:30am despite the fact that the voting materials were in place by 5:30am. However, presiding officer, Moses Turinawe blamed the delay on the late arrival of the crime preventer assigned to man security at the polling station. Other polling stations that opened late include Karegyeya, Irenga, Mutanoga, Nyarubungo and Kyangara.
The presiding officer, Ronald Turyatemba attributed the delay to the late arrival of some polling officials. The story wasn't any different at Nyakibigi primary school polling station where voting start any hour late.
The Ruhama county by-election race race has attracted four candidate's including; NRM's Moses Mugabe Kahima, and independent candidates Engineer Jackson Mubangizi, Dr. Penninah Bainomugisha and Vastine Orishaba.
