Without Electoral Reforms, Uganda’s Elections Serve Only To Bolster Dictatorship

In Uganda, the word “elections” is wrapped in vibrant posters, festive campaign music, lively rallies, and the palpable tension of polling day. However, for those aware of our history, these displays represent less of a democratic process, and more of a theatrical performance, an elaborate show intended to convince both Ugandans, and the international community that our country upholds democratic values.

In truth, these elections often function as a means to entrench the ruling elite’s grip on power. Without substantial electoral reforms, what we label as elections become mere formalities that bolster dictatorship.

This reality is evident in our recent political history. In 2016, Dr. Kizza Besigye, Uganda’s most persistent opposition leader was placed under house arrest before he could even contest the election results.

His rallies were stifled, his followers were assaulted, and tear-gassed, ballot boxes were filled with fraudulent votes in rural areas, and opposition strongholds were heavily monitored by security forces.

When Besigye rejected the official results, he was treated not as a legitimate candidate, but as a criminal. He subsequently made it clear that participating in future elections would be pointless without serious reforms. His message was unequivocal: it is futile to run a race where the referee is also a competitor, and the finish line can be shifted at will.

Fast forward to 2021, and Robert Kyagulanyi widely known as Bobi Wine fell into the same trap because the warning signs were apparent from the outset.

Constituency boundaries were manipulated to benefit the ruling party. In regions where the president enjoys significant support, the number of Members of Parliament (MPs) surged to over 270, while less supportive areas struggled with fewer than 260 MPs combined.

This gerrymandering strategy provided the regime with a substantial legislative advantage before a single vote was cast, while names of known opposition supporters vanished mysteriously from the voter registration lists.

In Bobi Wine’s strongholds particularly of Kampala, and Wakiso, polling stations opened late or, in some cases, never opened at all.

The election manipulation operated on several fronts. Electoral officials, appointed for their loyalty to the regime, ignored blatant ballot box stuffing in rural areas.

Rather than safeguarding voters, security forces were deployed to intimidate them with armed soldiers, and police actively targeted opposition polling agents, often bullying them into leaving polling stations before counting commenced.

Videos later surfaced showing election officials brazenly stuffing ballots in favor of the ruling party in regions far removed from media scrutiny.

As votes were counted, an intentional internet blackout ensured that no real-time updates could reveal the extent of the fraud. Urban votes were canceled, altered, or unaccounted for before reaching the national tally center.

By the time the results were announced, the outcome was predetermined.  Like Besigye, Bobi Wine rejected the announced results, vowing never to engage in another election without reforms.

Yet, as time passed, political pressures, and the harsh realities of surviving within Uganda’s political environment softened his resolve much to the regime’s advantage when dealing with opposition figures.

The uncomfortable truth is that in Uganda, electoral dishonesty does not merely occur on polling day; it begins years in advance.

The groundwork is established with gerrymandering, editing the voter register to exclude opposition supporters while including ghost voters in regime strongholds. Attempts are made to create fake opposition parties to fracture the resistance.

Electoral officers are compromised, the media is silenced, security forces are weaponized against citizens, and public funds are misappropriated to fuel the ruling party’s campaign. This pattern altogether, culminates in ballot stuffing, intimidation at polling stations, and the inevitable declaration of a preselected winner.

The Democratic Front (DF) and its president Mathias Mpuuga has made it clear that reforms are indispensable if Uganda is to hold credible elections.

These reforms necessitate establishing a truly independent electoral commission, selected collaboratively by all political parties rather than appointed by the president; creating a verifiable voter register; ensuring equal access to media for all candidates; removing security forces from the electoral process; enforcing complete transparency in vote counting, and announced at the district level as opposed to the national tally center etc, and implementing severe consequences for electoral fraud.

Without these measures, each election remains a meticulously rehearsed ceremony, with outcomes predetermined long before voting begins.

Entering another election without substantial reforms will carry dire repercussions, especially for Uganda’s youth. It communicates to the dictator that Ugandans have resigned themselves to his terms of governance. Such a scenario gives rise to a weak, counterfeit opposition, more invested in parliamentary perks than genuine change.

For the youth whose aspirations hinge on the potential for a free and fair Uganda, it means inheriting a nation where their voices, votes, and futures could be permanently silenced.

The most painful betrayal often comes from politicians, and MPs who, despite having experienced the blatant rigging of the 2021 elections, act as if nothing is amiss.

They observed the intimidation, ballot stuffing, harassment, gerrymandering, and result manipulation.

Aware of the truths, they have opted to protect their positions rather than advocate for the nation’s welfare. By choosing comfort over democracy, they leave citizens to endure the consequences of a system they once condemned during their campaigns.

History teaches us a glaring lesson: as evidenced by Dr. Kizza Besigye in 2016, and Bobi Wine in 2021, without reforms, Uganda’s elections are stripped of genuine competition; they are mere orchestrated coronations.

The youth must recognize that the struggle transcends merely casting a vote, it encompasses ensuring that each vote genuinely counts. If we naively march into another election, we are not just endorsing the regime, we are inadvertently celebrating it, and in doing so, we risk extinguishing the last flicker of hope for real change in our lifetimes.

The Writer Is A Youth Leader At Democratic Front