KAYONZA – The National Election Commission (NEC) has urged opinion leaders in Kayonza district to play a vital role in ensuring free and fair upcoming elections.

Meeting over 100 opinion leaders from all sectors of Kayonza in Kabarondo town early this week, a NEC representative in the Eastern Province, Frank Kayiranga, said: "Opinion leaders are part and parcel of community leadership …they therefore have the obligation to create a conducive environment for free and fare elections.”

The district’s vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Anita Mutesi warned the opinion leaders against giving way to divisive politics that she said ‘tore the country into pieces a few years back’.

"I am happy that most of you understand what democratic elections entail. However, it would be regretful if some of you were swayed into politics that destroyed our country in the past,” she said. 

Marie Margaret Mukamana, one of the participants from Nyamirama said that women in the sector have politically matured to handle the forthcoming polls. 

"We know how to conduct ourselves in the forth coming presidential elections. The women and men in our communities have gone far in managing politics, and cannot be lured into nasty attempts meant to disrupt the process,” she said. 

Most of the districts have revised and updated their voters’ registers except for the remaining few that are set to finish the registration this week.

Similar meetings have been conducted in other districts, according to Kayiranga.

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