AThe Electoral Commission (EC) has advised that only registered voters will be allowed to participate in the upcoming Village Women’s Council and Local Council I (LC I) Chairperson elections.
Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi told journalists on Wednesday that the Commission’s stand is part of the effort to ensure order at the polls. Village Women’s Council elections will be held on Thursday, July 23, 2026 (electing Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Publicity Secretary, and Secretary for Finance). Whereas LC I Chairperson elections Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
Article 176 of the 1995 Constitution outlines the principles of a decentralized local government system, emphasizing democratic election of councils, while Article 180 details the structure and powers of local government councils. These are operationalized through the Local Governments Act, Cap. 243, which governs village-level processes, including the lining-up voting method under Section 111(2).
The EC already finalized the compilation of separate voter registers for general village residents and women’s councils across 71,214 villages (July 6–10), followed by public display for verification (July 13–14). Nominations for Village Women’s Committees and LC I Chairpersons ran from July 15–19, with complaints now under review.
Voting uses the lining-up system, where eligible voters publicly queue behind their preferred candidate, portrait, or symbol. Polling occurs in open village spaces, with counting immediate and visible.
Campaigns are village-restricted and end daily by 6:00 p.m. The government has allocated 56.9 billion shillings for logistics, materials, voter education, and operations.
LC I leaders play vital everyday roles such as community mobilization for development, local security, minor dispute resolution, document verification, and linking citizens to higher government structures.
The EC maintains that lining up promotes transparency and curbs manipulation in close-knit village settings, where results are declared on the spot in voters’ presence. Justice Byabakama emphasized full preparedness and commitment to resolving complaints expeditiously.
The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has voiced strong concerns. Head of Media and Communications and spokesperson Faizal Muzeyi stated: “We would prefer voting by secret ballot because it promotes transparency, protects voters from intimidation and helps preserve harmony within communities after elections.” The party contends it would better align with international democratic standards on voter privacy.
This debate echoes longstanding discussions in Uganda’s electoral history. While the system has been used successfully in past village polls for its simplicity and verifiability in low-literacy or resource-constrained areas, opponents question its suitability as political competition intensifies nationwide.
These elections, repeatedly postponed due to administrative and financial hurdles, represent the foundation of Uganda’s multi-tiered local councils.
They feed into higher structures and signal grassroots sentiment before national polls. Article 38 of the Constitution guarantees citizens’ right to participate in governance, raising questions about whether open queuing fully safeguards this in practice.
Justice Byabakama appealed for peaceful participation, particularly urging women to turn out strongly for their council elections and all voters to choose diligent community servants. He called on political actors to respect laws, avoid violence, and use legal channels for disputes. The Commission has begun hearing nomination-related complaints on voter registers, eligibility, and procedures.
These elections, postponed several times over recent years due to administrative and financial constraints, are widely viewed as a significant institutional test for the Electoral Commission before Uganda conducts higher-level elections.
Government has allocated 56.9 billion shillings, released by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, to facilitate the nationwide exercise. The funding covers logistics, polling materials, voter education and operational support for elections in more than 71,000 villages, making them among the country’s largest electoral exercises by geographical coverage-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
