I’ll accept results if poll is transparent - Mbabazi

Mr Amama Mbabazi prepares to vote at Karubeizi church of Uganda PHOTO BY ROBERT MUHEREZA

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Telecommunication companies, on orders of Uganda communication Commission (UCC), disabled Facebook, twitter and whatsApp by 6am yesterday, citing unspecified security concerns

KANUNGU.

He landed in a pompous way. Independent candidate Amama Mbabazi flew to vote in his home district of Kanungu aboard a chartered Eagle Airline plane, and disembarked in tow with his ailing wife Jackline, their two sons and one of his daughters, Fina Karungi.

His supporters broke out in wild ululation when he, together with family, approached Karubeizi Church of Uganda polling station in Nyakikoni Sub-county where he voted at about 1pm.

“I will accept the election results once the process is transparent,” Mr Mbabazi told journalists shortly after casting his ballot and accusing the government of panicking by blocking social media sites and mobile money platform.

Telecommunication companies, on orders of Uganda communication Commission (UCC), disabled Facebook, twitter and whatsApp by 6am yesterday, citing unspecified security concerns.

“The UCC has directed MTN to disable all socialmedia and MobileMoney services due to a threat to public order & safety,” telecommunications giant Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN) tweeted yesterday afternoon.

The services momentarily collapsed on platforms of all service providers, taking most users by surprise. Many later managed to bypass the firewall using Virtual Protocol Network application.
“It’s a shame for government to shut down the networks of mobile money and other social networks with an objective of curtailing mobilisation. But I am happy because I managed to get hooked to the Italian network and now all my social networks are doing well. The government is doing all this because they are in total fear.”

The ex-premier said he was not happy with the electoral process because it was too slow, making people to be scorched in the searing temperature for long. Several polling stations started the voting process late because some officials claimed that the biometric machines were not working properly while others said the election officials were swapped at the last-minute.