The Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court has halted the vote recount in Kalungu West Constituency after discovering serious irregularities, including tampering of six ballot boxes and the unknown origin of one ballot box.
The recount had been ordered earlier after a petition by the runner-up candidate, Ismael Ssemakula, who claimed the election results were marred by irregularities and that the declared winner, Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu, had only won by a narrow margin of 46 votes.
Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu, running on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, was declared winner with 10,106 votes. Ismael Ssemakula, an independent candidate, trailed closely with 10,060 votes
Ssemakula, argued that the counting and tallying process conducted by the Kalungu District returning officer, Teddy Nabukenya, was compromised. He alleged that the returning officer refused to carry out a mandatory recount at the tallying stage, despite the law permitting a recount when the winning margin is below 50 votes.
In response, the court ordered a full recount of all polling stations to ensure that the winner was declared fairly.
However, the process was abruptly halted after court officials discovered that six ballot boxes had been tampered with, raising serious doubts about the integrity of the exercise. The situation was worsened by the fact that the origin of one ballot box could not be established, making it impossible to verify whether the votes inside were genuine.
The court’s decision to stop the recount has intensified fears of irregularities in the electoral process, and has raised questions about whether the results can be trusted.
The recount order and subsequent halt have put the constituency in uncertainty as the Electoral Commission and the judiciary determine the next steps.