From The Africa Report.

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni said he will import thumbprint machines for the next parliamentary election in 2016 to counter voter fraud, according to an article in The Africa Report.

The ruling National Resistance Movement party and the opposition have accused each other of electoral malpractices. The opposition accused the government of fraud during the last general elections. The ruling party has consistently denied any involvement in electoral fraud and has often alleged that the opposition has been involved in electoral fraud in its strongholds.

Opposition parties and activists have said a biometric voter registration is the most credible shield against multiple registrations and they unsuccessfully demanded that biometrics be included in the economic commission’s Strategic Plan 2013-2017, according to a report in The Daily Monitor.

Museveni said the government’s decision to import thumbprint machines to control electoral fraud will help identify voters and prevent double voting. “In future cheating during elections will stop,” he said, according to The Africa Report. “We are importing machines for thumb printing in 2016. We shall use thumbprints to know who this is and if you try to cheat, the machine will throw you out.”

William Mugasa, an official at the electoral commission, said more than $10 million is needed to import the thumbprint machines, according to the The Africa Report.

Officials insist biometrics will be used in 2016, but have not said how it will work.

Parliament is expected to pass the resolution to import the machines.

Read more at The Africa Report.