The Democratic Party (DP) spokesperson and president of the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD), Kiirya Ismail, has called upon the Electoral Commission (EC) to carry out a free and fair Kawempe North by-election.
Kiirya, who was addressing the media at the party offices on Balintuma Road in the Rubaga division of Kampala on January 28, 2025, said that the Kawempe North by-election will be key to determining if the Electoral Commission has the capacity to carry out a free and fair 2026 general election.
“We want to ask the EC to conduct the by-election of Kawempe North without taking sides; this is a test for the EC to prove to us that they can handle a peaceful and fair election in 2026, and we want to ask the EC to carry out an election without siding with any party and be independent,” Kiirya said.
He, however, cautioned security agencies from involving themselves in the elections but instead restrict themselves to keeping law and order.
“We ask the security to keep in their lane of keeping law and order, the UPDF, Police, ISO, and CMI; please don’t interfere in elections in disguise of helping the electoral commission, and we ask Afande Byakagaba, the IGP, to tame the police officers so that they can understand their limit,” Kiirya added.
While releasing the electoral roadmap on January 27, 2025, the EC chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, appealed to stakeholders to be cooperative and remain peaceful.
“The Commission believes that the successful filling of the vacancies will depend, among other things, on your partnership, positive/unbiased mobilization, and sensitization of the electorate to observe law and order and to actively but peacefully participate in the entire electoral process,” Byabakama said.
The EC boss also called upon political parties and prospective candidates to call upon their supporters to observe law and order, transparency, and fairness aimed at having peaceful, free, fair, and credible elections without any violence.
According to the released roadmap, the nomination of candidates will be conducted on Wednesday, 26th, and Thursday, 27th, February, 2025, and campaigns will be held from Friday, 28th, February, until Tuesday, 11th, March, 2025, and voting will take place on March 13th, 2025.
The party leaders made a call to qualified members interested in the position to submit their applications for consideration.
