Biometric equipment failure, internet shutdown mars Uganda election

Biometric equipment failures and an internet shutdown have rocked Uganda’s presidential and parliamentary elections on Thursday.

Reports emerged early in the day that some of the country’s Biometric Voter Verification Kits (BVVKs) were malfunctioning, and the Daily Observer reports that the disruptions affected areas of high support for both the incumbent government and the opposition.

Local firm Simi Valley Technologies was contracted to supply more than 109,000 BVVKs for the election. Members of Parliament were pressing the Electoral Commission for more information on how they function and seeking assurances of their reliability as 2025 closed.

President Yoweri Museveni completed identity verification to cast his vote with face biometrics, after attempts to match the fingerprints of his right and left hands were unsuccessful.

The 81-year old, six-term President said that an investigation would be held to determine if the failures resulted from any deliberate effort to undermine the process.

The Ugandan Election Commission was forced to publish guidance instructing Returning Officers at polling stations to “commence immediately using the National Voters Register, in accordance with the electoral laws and guidelines, so as not to disenfranchise any voter” should a biometric device fail to operate properly. The EC also stated that polls should remain open until all voters in line at the official closing time have cast their ballots.

The Observer reports that queues extended for hours in the capital Kampala and other regions. The delays were not only due to failures of the biometric equipment, however, but also late arrivals of ballots or gear.

The government said it had blocked internet access to prevent the spread of misinformation, while the opposition National Unity Platform suggested the move was intended to hinder voter mobilization and elections monitoring.

Elections in Uganda under Museveni have repeatedly been marred by irregularities and reports of fraud.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometrics  |  Simi Valley Technologies  |  Uganda  |  voter identification