Western Burundi : village elections marred by electoral fraud and manipulation

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, August 28, 2025 – The August 25 village elections in Bujumbura province, western Burundi, organized under the supervision of the CEPI (Independent Provincial Electoral Commission), were supposed to strengthen local democracy. However, massive fraud, targeted arrests, and intimidation orchestrated by local CNDD-FDD officials and the Imbonerakure, the ruling party’s youth league, created a climate of anger and distrust among voters.

The election, presented as a pillar of local democracy, turned into a fiasco in several districts in the province. Repeated fraud, selective arrests, impunity, and low turnout fueled tensions and disillusionment.

Cibitoke : stuffing ballot boxes and targeted arrests

In Dogodogo, Rugombo zone, voters from outside the region were allowed to vote with hastily distributed cards, without their names on the official lists. Tensions rose when a soldier fired into the air to disperse young girls accused of fraud. Even more surprisingly, the injured candidate was arrested for “harming others,” while his supporters denounced a “set-up.”

In other villages such as Rusiga, Karurama, Rugeregere, Rukana, and Kagazi, polling station presidents caught red-handed manipulating ballot boxes were arrested and then quickly released, reinforcing voters’ sense of injustice.

Mugina : voter cards by the shovelful

In the district of Mugina, two people were arrested in Muyange with 19 voter cards, then released without penalty. Similar practices were observed in Rusagara, Ruziba, Buhoro, Muhingo, and Butahana, compromising the regularity of the vote.

Bukinanyana : a repeated pattern

In Bukinanyana, several villages, including Bumbiri, Kaburantwa, Bumba, Nyamitanga, and Ndava, were marked by repeated fraud. Polling officials remained inactive, and impunity appeared to be the rule, much to the dismay of voters.

Turnout in freefall

Beyond the irregularities, the election revealed a worrying demobilization. In many villages, residents preferred to stay home, believing it pointless to vote “for officials who will achieve nothing.”

Authorities on the defensive

Faced with criticism, the president of the Bujumbura CEPI spoke of “attempts at disruption” and promised that “the anomalies will be corrected.” But no concrete measures have yet been announced, and official results are still pending.

A weakened democracy

Presented as a key step in bringing citizens closer to their institutions, these elections have left a bitter taste. Fraud, intimidation, and a lack of transparency are fueling distrust. The population is already demanding a rerun of the election, while the authorities are being called upon to urgently restore confidence in an increasingly contested electoral process.