The electoral commission has budget for Ushs 1.387.821 trillion to implement the election activities between the period running 2023 to 2026
The Prime Minister of Uganda Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja has argued the electoral commission give specific consideration to special interest groups in the country in voter education and sensitization such that such stakeholders can be able to prepare well for contesting for the various positions in 2026.
She gave the directives while launching the EC‘s Strategic Plan and Roadmap for 2022/2023-2026/2027 general elections at Hotel African in Kampala on August 2, 2023 which occasion was attended by various stake holders and dignitaries and some leaders of political parties.
Nabbanja also commended the Strategic Plan which she said that, its quality ideas are tailored in line with international and regional frame work, Africa agenda 2063, the Universal Human Rights as well as African Union declaration and the Sustainable goals.
She also implored all stakeholders to carefully examine all the timelines as outlined in the Roadmap, and work with the Electoral Commission to smoothly implement the electoral roadmap for 2025/2026 general elections.
In the Strategic Plan , the EC has budgeted to receive and spend slightly over Ushs 1.387 trillion for the period running from 2023-2027 and the general elections of 2025/ 2026 alone will cost a total sum of Ushs 622.175 billion.
The chairman of EC Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon while releasing the Roadmap said that the exercise is carried out early enough in order to allow agitators such as political parties to plan on time and accordingly so as to have enough time in which they can be able to resolve their internal disputes that arises during their primary elections.
“ The Roadmap should have been released even earlier than now but because of logistical challenges we were not able to do so. We what the political agitators to have enough time for preparation and also to avoid eventualities.’’ Justice Byabakama said.
He also said that the commission has faces a number of challenges such as inadequate funding of which even the limited funds are not always available on time and this limits the implementation of the commission’s activities as planned.
According to the statement issued to the people who attended the launch, the 2026 elections are earmarked to commence on June 26, 2025 when the nominations for Parish/ Ward SIG Committees Candidates special intrest groups like the youth, elderly and PWD will take place.
The general update of the voters register will start on January 2025 and , while the nominations of candidates for Parliamentary will start on September 16,2025 and end on September 2025 and for the f Presidential will commence on October 2, 2025 and finish on October 3, 2025.
The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Nobert Mao argued the EC to also focus on massive civic education instead of carrying out voter’s education because the voting situation in the country is beyond educating voters only.
Mao said that there are many things that need to be done outside the generation elections in order to achieve a proper functional State for instance changing of the constitution Act concerning all elections in the country through amendment.
Meanwhile the different party representatives decried the continued lack of release of funding from the government which is a violation of their constitutional right.
The Secretary General of the Democratic Party Dr. Gerald Siranda said that his party has already ordered its lawyers to serve EC and the Attorney General with an intention to sue for what he called the deliberate refusal of release these funds.
Dr. Siranda said that the law requires that the finance ministry must release the funds to the electro commission which is also mandated to distribute to the political parties that have members of parliament in proportion to the number they have but when whenever they ask for the money the EC official informs them that it has to consult the parliament yet the law is clear.
A total of Ushs 23 billion is was budgeted in 2022 FY to be share by the political parties as per the representation in terms of numbers but parties’ leaders are lamenting that they have not received any coin this year yet they have party activities.
By George Bukenya and Dan Mugula
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