It is election time in Uganda. Yesterday Ugandans went to the polls to vote for their next President. Incumbent Museveni has been in office for 30 years, but is meeting stiff opposition this time around. Just to be on the safe side in the case of any one side getting overly excited about their candidate or the results we are sticking close to home for the next few days. The country is eagerly awaiting the results which as of this morning had a whopping 2% reporting with Museveni in the lead.
Elections here are a little different from in the States. Ugandan’s eager to vote will wait in line under the hot sun all day for a chance to cast their ballot while the majority of Americans decide not to exercise their right to vote, but have no problem exercising their free speech in complaining about both the process and the results. The polling stations here may also be nothing more than a plastic tub set in the middle of a mud hut compound where the community can come check in and cast their ballot.
This doesn’t always go as planned as many polling stations failed to get the ballots in a timely manner or even at all causing huge delays in the process. One opposition candidate was also arrested for trespassing when he charged into a house where he had heard ballots were being stuffed. This was not his first time be detained this week. Social Media sites have also been blocked by the government due to security concerns, imagine the reaction if that happened in the States.
Throughout all of this, I just pray that wisdom and peace prevail. Ugandan has been a bit of a refugee for me as its neighbor South Sudan has proven to be a more volatile place to live. I hope to see peace and grace continue through this election process and on through the years to come that this country’s stability might be replicated in some of its neighbors. Also, given the issues surrounding an African election, I hope American’s might think twice before complaining about our process (feel free to keep complaining about candidates) but the freedom, the ease, and the privilege of going to the polls in the states should not be shaken for granted.
Naming the Wind 