With the 2021 general elections knocking on the door, the electoral commission has offered a sigh of relief to the voters by announcing that no Ugandan will be disenfranchised on the basis of lack of a National Identification Card on the voting day for as long as their name appears on the national voters’ register. […]
With the 2021 general elections knocking on the door, the electoral commission has offered a sigh of relief to the voters by announcing that no Ugandan will be disenfranchised on the basis of lack of a National Identification Card on the voting day for as long as their name appears on the national voters’ register.
Sam Rwakoojo, the Secretary, Electoral Commission, while meeting members of the Online Media Publishers Association at Hotel Africana this morning said that the electoral officers will only use a voter’s ID generated from the information provided to them by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA). In other words, an eligible voter will not be required to carry or present a National ID on polling day.
Rwakoojo also challenged Media practitioners, mainly those in the online news business, desist from inciting people but rather commit to supporting the process of delivering a peaceful, free and fair election. He noted that some media houses, deliberately or otherwise, tend to incite violence through unbalanced, inaccurate or inflammatory reporting.
He further pledged to ensure media practitioners’ protection during the entire process, noting that measures are being put in place to ensure that reporters are safe and their rights fully protected.
Innocent Nahabwe, of Howwe website and also Galaxy fm Managing director, requested specialized training for journalists to build their capacity to cover the electoral processes efficiently. He also urges the electoral commission to be fast in dissemination of information.
Rwakoojo then said the EC will continue organizing training workshops at National and Regional levels for the media personnel so as to equip them with knowledge of the electoral process to enable improvement in the area of election reporting.
