Fresh Polls Stall Again as Frustrated Kanoni Residents Appeal to Museveni

What the report says

Residents of Kanoni Village in Gomba District have turned to President Yoweri Museveni for help after another attempt to hold fresh village chairperson elections failed, according to Nile Post. The dispute centers on long-serving chairman Wasswa Abel Mukatuliki, whom residents say has remained in office for nearly four decades and should now face a new vote. They want the contest to determine whether John Katweere will replace him.

The article says tensions have built since the July 28 village election, which residents believe produced a winner but whose results were never announced. District electoral officials have since set new polling dates several times, but residents say the process keeps collapsing when supporters of the challenger appear and Mukatuliki’s side does not. On Friday, another scheduled vote at Kanoni Health Centre III did not go ahead, and police were called in to prevent unrest.

Residents accused Mukatuliki of poor leadership and alleged misuse of the village stamp, while Katweere faulted district electoral authorities for repeated delays and said the matter could end up in court. Gomba District electoral chairperson Ivan Munanura said the election remains pending and promised a new date. The dispute matters because it has left the village without a settled leadership outcome and deepened frustration over local governance and electoral administration.