What We Do

We have served Uganda for the last four years.
John served at the church's operations director and then re-opened Calvary Chapel Bible College Uganda in 2014.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Election Day



Yesterday was Uganda’s Presidential Elections.

The day started at 6:15am when I let our night guard leave early.  I wanted him to be in line to vote because polling stations open at 7am.  Unfortunately, his polling station opened very late at 3pm.

I insisted that our day guard vote before he arrived for duty.  He arrived at 1pm because his polling station opened at noon.  So much for polls opening at 7am.

A friend of ours was unable to vote at all.  Somehow she was registered to vote back in her home village several hours away.
Another missionary told us that some voting stations didn’t open at all.  Those should be opened today instead.  So much for voting on February 18th.
Just before 4pm, we receiving this Embassy alert (emphasis added):  “The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens to refrain from driving or being on the streets in Kampala for the remainder of the day.  Since midday [noon], the Embassy has received some reports of disturbances at or near polling stations in Kampala, including the blocking of streets with large rocks, the throwing of rocks, and the setting of small fires.”  We planned to stay at home anyhow.

Campaign logo for a peaceful election.

At least some (perhaps all) social media was blocked on election day.  BBC reported that President Museveni ordered What’s App be blocked.  We are unable to access Twitter, a source for election updates on #UgandaDecides.

Opposition candidate Kizza Besigye was detained by police.  Was he really investigating vote rigging or was it a political stunt?  I don’t know.

Today we travel to the quiet western town of Fort Portal.  We will visit friends and tour a Christian medical clinic.  We drive home after Sunday church at Calvary Chapel Fort Portal.  Hopefully we will be back in our Kampala home before the election results are announced.  That’s when things can get dicey.

From Uganda,
John Eastham

1 comment:

  1. Good to see your posts again, John. I have wondered how you and your family have been. Glad to hear everyone is doing well. Keep up the posts!

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