Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi has claimed he was blocked from accessing Kalangala District on polling day, raising fresh concerns over the credibility of the ongoing Woman MP by-election.
In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, Ssenyonyi said he had been held at Bukakata landing site for hours while attempting to travel to Kalangala to supervise the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, Nampala Irene.
“I’ve been seated on the ferry meant to go to Kalangala from Bukakata for close to two hours, but it has not set off,” he said. “I’m told there’s been an instruction not to set off because there is no ‘clearance’ yet for me to proceed.”
The Nakawa West MP described the situation as unusual and politically concerning, arguing that there was no legal justification to restrict his movement to the island district during an active electoral process.
Ssenyonyi further alleged that reports from NUP agents on the ground pointed to possible electoral malpractice.
He claimed there were “numerous reports of numberless cars moving to various polling stations,” alongside allegations of ballot stuffing.
“These developments raise serious questions about the integrity of the process,” he noted, without providing immediate independent verification of the claims.
The Kalangala by-election, triggered by the death of former Woman MP Hellen Nakimuli, has attracted national attention despite the district’s small and geographically dispersed electorate.
The race pits candidates from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), the opposition NUP, and an independent contender.
Election day tensions had already been reported earlier, with concerns emerging over electoral materials and transparency in the voting process. Ssenyonyi’s claims now add to growing scrutiny from opposition leaders monitoring the exercise