"What's This Nonsense We've Witnessed Today" Veteran Journalist Blasts Uganda EC Over Biometric Failures on Election Day

Alan Kasujja. Photo/Courtesy 

A veteran Ugandan journalist has sharply criticised the Electoral Commission over widespread failures of the Biometric Voter Verification System (BVVS) during Thursday’s general election, describing the process as chaotic and unacceptable.

In a strongly worded post on X, the journalist questioned the integrity and value of the biometric system, calling for a comprehensive audit of how it was procured, deployed, and managed. 

He demanded answers on whether the substantial public funds invested in the technology had been squandered.

“The whole Biometric Voter Verification System must be looked at incisively, from top to bottom,” the journalist wrote, raising pointed questions about responsibility and accountability within the Electoral Commission.

"How? Who? What? Where? When? Has all the money spent on it gone to waste? Who dropped the ball? If the Uganda Electoral Commission acquired a working system, what’s with all the nonsense we have witnessed today," he added.

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Reports from several parts of Uganda indicated that BVVS kits malfunctioned or failed to operate altogether, leading to delays at polling stations and, in some cases, forcing officials to resort to manual voter verification. 

Voters in urban and rural areas alike complained of long queues and confusion, with some stations opening late due to technical hitches.

The Electoral Commission has previously defended the biometric system as a key safeguard against voter fraud, insisting it enhances transparency and credibility. 

However, Thursday’s events have reignited debate about the commission’s preparedness and capacity to manage complex election technologies.

Civil society groups have also called for an independent review of the BVVS procurement and implementation process.