EC needs 139bn to start 2021 elections process

By Jamila Mulindwa

The Electoral Commission needs 139 billion shillings in this current financial year 2018/19 to start the electoral process of the 2021 general elections, but it has not been provided for by the Ministry of Finance.

Appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Committee of parliament today to present their budget framework paper, the EC chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugyenyi said that they need over 800 billion shillings in phases to complete the process but they have not been allocated any funds.

He added that they need over 400 billion shillings for the next phase in the coming financial year 2019/20, but it has not been provided for in the budget framework paper for 2019/20 which is under scrutiny.

He informed the committee that EC had also suspended organising elections in the seven new districts that started operating on 1st July 2018 because of lack of funds.