The Electoral Commission (EC) has said it will partner with cultural institutions across the country to carry out voter awareness programmes.
This follows an invitation by the leadership of the Tooro Kingdom.
The offer was extended to the Commission by the Prime Minister of Tooro Kingdom, Benard Tungakwo Ateenyi, during a meeting with members of the Electoral Commission held on Thursday, February 24th 2022, at the EC headquarters in Kampala.
In a statement released by EC on Thursday evening, Tungakwo described the visit and meeting as part of the Kingdom’s effort to create strategic partnerships with key public and private institutions that provide various social and economic services to the people in the districts that form the Kingdom of Tooro.
Tungakwo observed that kingdoms and cultural institutions are key players in Uganda’s development agenda.
He noted, however, that sustainable development can only happen within stable communities, hence the need to work with stakeholders to ensure peaceful and participatory electoral processes.
The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon noted that the two institutions serve the same people, hence mobilising and sensitising local communities on civic and voter rights and duties and the cause of peace is not a partisan matter.
Justice Byabakama welcomed the invitation to work closely with the Kingdom’s grass-root structures to engage and sensitise communities on their roles in promoting peace before, during and after elections.
The Tooro Kingdom comprises the electoral districts of Bunyangabu, Kabarole, Kamwenge, Kitagwenda, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, Ntoroko and Fort Portal City, with a combined total of nine hundred and ninety thousand (990,000) registered voters (2021 General Elections).