The Electoral Commission has launched a three-day update of the National Voters Register in Kalangala District ahead of the June 24, 2026, by-election for the District Woman Representative to Parliament. The three-day exercise, which started on Monday and runs until May 13 across all the district’s 17 parishes, is intended to allow eligible voters to register, verify their voting details, and transfer polling stations where necessary. EC Spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi told URN that the update exercise is a mandatory legal process conducted ahead of every general election and parliamentary by-election.
“The update of the National Voters Register is a requirement in the law ahead of every election or by-election,” Mucunguzi said, adding that the exercise targets first-time voters and registered voters seeking transfers within the district. The exercise forms part of preparations for the by-election to fill the vacant Kalangala District Woman Representative seat in Parliament, a contest already attracting growing political and governance interest due to the district’s strategic significance and unique electoral challenges.
Under Article 59 of Uganda’s Constitution, every citizen aged 18 years and above has a constitutional right to vote. Section 18 of the Electoral Commission Act further mandates the Commission to compile, maintain, revise, and regularly update a credible National Voters Register. Located on Lake Victoria and comprising more than 80 islands, Kalangala District remains one of Uganda’s most difficult areas to administer electorally.
Most communities are accessible only by water transport, while poor road infrastructure, weak communication networks, and scattered settlements continue to complicate voter registration, election monitoring, and deployment of polling officials. According to Electoral Commission planning estimates for the 2025/2026 electoral cycle, Kalangala District is projected to have slightly more than 48,000 registered voters spread across dozens of polling stations on various islands.
The district’s highly mobile fishing population creates persistent challenges for voter verification and polling station management. Seasonal migration patterns among fishing communities have historically generated disputes over residency, transfers, and allegations of unlawful voter movement during election periods. To address such concerns, the Electoral Commission requires voters seeking polling station transfers to obtain endorsement from LC1 chairpersons confirming residency or origin in the area where they intend to vote.
Uganda’s electoral history has consistently been marked by disputes involving ghost voters, double registration, missing voter names, unlawful transfers, and allegations of voter intimidation. Following criticism surrounding the 2021 and 2026 electoral processes, the Electoral Commission intensified biometric verification, register cleaning, and transfer scrutiny exercises aimed at restoring confidence in the integrity of elections.
The next Woman MP for Kalangala is therefore expected to play a significant legislative and oversight role on issues affecting fisheries management, environmental protection, healthcare delivery, transport infrastructure, education access, and economic livelihoods in fishing communities. Several parliamentary committee reports and government assessments in recent years have pointed to persistent service delivery challenges in island districts despite investments under programs such as the Parish Development Model, fisheries sector reforms, and the National Development Plan IV.
Kalangala continues to grapple with unreliable electricity supply, limited access to secondary education, inadequate healthcare facilities, poor telecommunications coverage, and transport challenges that raise the cost of accessing public services. The June 24 by-election is also expected to attract heightened political attention because it comes at a time of broader political realignment following Uganda’s 2026 general elections.
For opposition parties, Kalangala presents an opportunity to test their organizational strength in hard-to-reach constituencies, while the ruling establishment is expected to view the race as strategically important in consolidating political influence around Lake Victoria-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
