International Court of Justice (ICJ) Judge Justice Julia Sebutinde has warned politicians and security operatives against issuing inflammatory statements that could plunge the country into violence during the election period.
Addressing a press conference earlier today Justice Sebutinde, who is in the country ahead of the February 18, urged the security bosses not to get overzealous and also to avoid being partisan. she also asked the politicians to refrain from rhetoric that could lead to violence.

Recently, a number of officials like the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Katumba Wamala and the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba have made remarks that border on threatening voters.

Similarly, some politicians contesting for the highest office have said some scary words, denting an otherwise peaceful campaign period that begun in November last year.
Meanwhile, in Uganda justice Julia Sebutinde, the no-nonsense international jurist, is most remembered for her tough stance on the behavior of Ugandan police officers, when she chaired a Commission of Inquiry that unearthed a lot of rot in the force.
Sebutinde was appointed to the ICJ in March 2012, becoming the first African woman to serve at the world court.

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The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has today morning flagged off the first batch of ballot papers to the far off regions of the country. Flagging off the exercise at the Commission’s warehouses at Banda on the outskirts of Kampala, the EC chairperson Eng. Badru Kiggundu said the operation was massive and called upon all those responsible for handling the ballots to play their roles right.
“I have talked to the drivers and informed them that what they are doing is on the electoral roadmap and that  they should take due care while transporting the voting materials” he said.
He noted that the ballots will be first distributed to the Karamoja Region and then roll out to the districts of West-Nile and other districts.
In the past elections there have been reports of ballots being delivered late at polling stations, and according to kiggundu, this time the early delivery is aimed at ensuring that ballots reach on time. Elections are set for Thursday, February 18.

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Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate Dr Kizza Besigye has stormed the outskirts of Kampala, heading to Makerere University where he is scheduled to address a rally.
Earlier in the morning police, after firing tear gas canisters to disperse the crowds, had restricted Dr Besigye’s moves in the city and ‘escorted’ him back to his home in Kasangati.
But as afternoon closed in the retired Colonel, backed by massive chanting crowds, was in Wandegeya, heading to the university. he is also expected to campaign in the Central Business District. including at the Kisekka and Nakasero Markets.
Since his nomination in November last year, Besigye has campaigned on a platform of ‘defiance’, after he said his votes have been stolen twice in the past elections of 2001 and 2006.

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The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has said that the 2016 Election Roadmap is a success.
Addressing election observers at a briefing held today in Kampala, EC Chairman Eng Badru Kiggundu, noted that the Commission has benefited so much form the roadmap since its incorporation in 2015, and attributed the achievements of the 2016 electoral process to the work plan.
“We are proud of it (roadmap), it received support from all stakeholders. The campaign programme has been paramount in promoting democracy,’ he said, and thanked all stakeholders for the support rendered to the electoral body.
The Commission released the 2016 Election Roadmap in April 2015, with the aim of harmonizing the electoral process including updating data at polling stations and on the national voters register.
Kiggundu refuted claims that the body had conscripted people into the register. “All the data was brought to EC. We went and updated the register to capture those who missed. People were not conscripted, they voluntarily agreed to register at their polling stations,” he said.
He also cited the introduction of the Biometric Voter Verification Devices and Polling Location Slips as some of the successes. “Biometric machines were secured for all polling stations and we even have a buffer in case of emergency. The public tested them,”Kiggundu expressed.
He however, noted that there had been challenges especially regarding the issue nationality for people staying around the border regions of the country, but hastened to add that the Commission was trying to contain the challenges. “We have challenges in border control and countries surrounding Uganda; some of them are green areas. They are being rescreened to see if they are Ugandans.”
The EC boss also urged all observers to be objective and work in harmony with all key players in the electoral process.
Beginning Thursday, over 15 million Ugandans will head to the polls to elect candidates to fill the 63,603 positions, including the President.
And Kiggundu reiterated that presidential results of the February 18 polls will be declared by the IEC Chairman at the national tally center at Namboole Stadium.

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Kireka is a Kampala suburb, located in Kira sub county Wakiso district. I am standing at a boda boda stage waiting to cross the road, my ears pick up a conversation by a group of five to eight cyclists. A seemingly older one, who appears to be most knowledgeable, asks the rest to listen to him. He tells his colleagues that the new biometric voter identification system that they ‘hear about’ is a move by the regime to deny many Ugandans a chance to vote as, according to him, these machines will not let Besigye supporters cast their votes.
I watch closely as the rest of the group tends to believe what he is saying, another individual adds that the machines are an act of delaying the electoral process past the top election hour of 6:00 pm.
Hearing the mention of 6.00pm, I decide to join the conversation. I ask the cyclists whether they were aware that the time was actually shifted from 6pm to 4pm, and they all turn suspiciously, stare at me and a few seconds of silence ensure until one of them asks me not to lie to them. Their colleague who has been quite all along comes to my rescue; he tells them that what I am talking about is actually true. Next was a big argument over the topic just as I crossed the road.
Under the Constitution, the Electoral Commission is mandated to carry out voter education all over the country. This, according to the Commission officials, has been done ahead of next week’s polls. However what is on ground suggests the opposite.
First, there was an amendment in the electoral law that saw a number of provisions changed including the crucial issue of time but many voters have not known this up to now.
Various innovations have also been carried out by the Commission; the biometric voter identification machines, voter location slips, and the possible need for a national ID to vote, among others.
Credit should be given to the IEC for vigorously using their social media platforms to carry out voter education; in fact in an interview with the spokesperson Mr Jotham Taremwa, he referred me to their website and social media uses internet. But how many Ugandans access internet? According to the Uganda Communications Commission, only 34 per cent of Ugandans use internet.
Mr Charles Mashate, the IEC head of Voter Education and Training informed me that the Commission has actually done its best to educate the masses.
“Voter education is like preparing a meal; we have been preparing this meal from the start,” he said adding: “We started with organizing polling stations, then display of the voters register, nomination of candidates and other political activities.”
Mr Mashate is adamant that the return of these exercises shows that there is an impact and cites the example of many candidates who turned up to vie for different posts all over the country.
“Would they have known the availability of these posts if we were not educating them?” he asked.
However, contrary to his claim, a source at Kira Town Council told me that most of the posts are set to be occupied by the incumbents who are returning unopposed since the ‘availability of these posts was not made known to the world be challengers’. This, the source says, is a move that was orchestrated by the sub county polling officials and the incumbents.
According Mr Mashate, the country was divided into four regions for purposes of voter education and voter education providers have been contracted, the West is handled by Impact Associates, the Central by Balaam marketing, the East by UPIMAC and the North by Strategic Friends Limited.
The Commission says they accredited over 72 civil society organizations to also help in voter education, among which is the Citizens’ Coalition for Electoral Democracy (CCEDU) whose ‘topowa’ campaign which calls for Ugandans to go and vote, has been versatile.
Further, Mr Mashate says that the IEC carried out voter education by issuing documents in local languages, various talkshows, and roadshows with rig vans, media announcements and stake holders’ workshops.
MrTaremwa, the Commission spokesperson, also confirmed training of polling agents around the country, an exercise that is to run up today, Saturday, February 13.

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The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairperson Dr Badru Kiggundu has said he is not scared of announcing the outcome of next week’s general elections.
The IEC boss made the disclosure following claims that he was intercepted at Entebbe International Airport trying to flee the country.
‘’Who examined my heart? I am not easily scared, I may be small in size but have a hard heart,” Mr Kiggundu said adding: “Whatever the law provides is what I will do.”
Mr Kigunddu, who was addressing the press at the EC headquarters in Kampala, also apologized to Ugandans for the appearance of 200,000 ghost voters on the register, saying it was a statistical error which has been rectified.
The chairperson also cautioned candidates who have been campaigning beyond 6pm as provided by the EC guidelines to desist from it as they will be penalized.
According to Mr Kiggundu, the total number of registered voters is 15,277,198 and about 15,987,800 presidential ballot papers were printed.
He also assured voters that non possession of the National ID doesn’t deprive one of the right to vote.
“As long as your name appears on the voters register, you will be able to vote even without a voter location slip or national ID,”Mr Kiggundu said.
However, he advised voters to pick their voter location slips and national IDs as with them, the voting process will be made faster.
Kiggundu also said the IEC started a training exercise for polling agents which will end tomorrow; regional officers, district registrars, sub county supervisors and parish supervisors are being trained on the usage of the Biometric Voter Identification system.
Meanwhile, at the same press briefing, the Inspector General of Police General Kale Kayihura assured voters of a peaceful election period and rebuffed claims that it was a mock election as many reports claimed.
“I have policed three national elections but this one has given me reason to celebrate, it is full of competition right from the party primaries, vigilance by all camps and absolutely tension free. This is a genuine election,” He said.
The IGP however, warned supporters of different candidates to stop putting up effigies as they were banned in 2010. He said police will put down all of them countrywide.

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