JOYCE NAMUGAMBE
In a bid to change the election system in Uganda, the Uganda Electoral commission enacted laws to help set the pace at which Ugandans should move, during elections for violent free elections in the country.
This follows allegations that Uganda’s election period is characterized with a lot of violence leading to people’s misconception of elections to being unfair.
While closing a three days training on freedom of expression, access to information for promotion of free and fair elections in Uganda, organized by the Africa freedom of information Centre at Skys Hotel in Kampala, in his speech read by the Director of operations in the Electoral commission Richard Kamugisha, Chairman for Uganda’s electoral commission justice Simon Byabakama, said that a lot has been negatively said about the electoral commission but they have worked hard to see things getting better during the election system, such as enacting laws that enhance freedom of expression among Ugandans, during the election period and access to information.
In his own words, Kamugisha said that it is not only unfairness from the electoral commission in the country that lead to violence and conflicts during elections, but sometimes people use the election period to expose their anger towards a particular challenge that they need to be addressed, such as unemployment, poor roads, high cost of living among others.
The executive director for Africa freedom of information center Gilbert Ssendugwa, has arged the electoral commission to use the 3 days engagement to clear all misconception about them and work hard to put things right, as a way of cleaning their reputation before the public.
He appealed to all stake holders who have attended the training to join hands with the electoral commission to see things change, so that by the time the country goes into the next election period, it will be a violence free election.
He sited access to information and artificial intelligence as some of the key issues that can help the public to follow whatever is taking place during elections, thereby reducing the rate of violence during elections.
Meanwhile, one of the facilitators and IT specialist Michael Kiberu Nagenda has said that the country can use technology to educate the public about elections and making access to information easy to the people, which will in the long run help to reduce violence cases during elections.
This training was attended by representatives from the Uganda police, Electoral commission, Uganda Human rights network, political parties, media among others.
