Electoral Commission wants law regulating election financing

As Uganda approaches the 2026 general elections, the Electoral Commission has underscored the urgent need for legislation to regulate election financing.

This call stems from concerns that the current state of election financing heavily influences the will of the people and significantly predetermines election outcomes.

During a media engagement in Kampala, Justice Simon Byabakama, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, highlighted the detrimental effects of the commercialization of elections, referring to it as “a cancer” that is eroding Uganda’s democratic progress.

“The second aspect that impacts the conduct of free and fair elections is the commercialization of politics, particularly the electoral processes. This has indeed, over time, become a cancer in our democratic journey as a country,” Byabakama said.

He elaborated on the financial burden placed on aspiring candidates.

“We are informed that, as of today, if you want to contest for Parliament, you need not less than shs500 million . This inevitably drives aspirants to look for these bags of money. Some of them even go to the extent of selling off their hard-earned, obtained property in order to join an electoral race. Ask yourself: Does this person have the mindset of losing an election? That defines some of these aspects we have been talking about: violence, bribery of voters, etc.”

The absence of a legal framework to regulate election financing has exacerbated these issues. Byabakama urged the media to advocate for the establishment of such a law, expressing hope that it would eventually be enacted.

“Unfortunately, there is no law to regulate election financing, but if you, the media, can push the need for this law to be put in place, I think some people somewhere will say there is too much alarm about this campaign financing. Let us have this law in place, and I want to believe, going forward, one day we shall have the law on electoral financing,” he said.

The commercialization of elections undermines democratic integrity by allowing financial influence to overshadow the collective will of the people.

Wealthy candidates and political parties exploit their financial resources to dominate media coverage, shape public opinion, and engage in voter bribery, thereby distorting fair competition.

This practice erodes public confidence in the electoral process, transforming elections from a fair representation of the people’s voice into a contest of financial power.

Additionally, the high costs associated with campaigning deter capable candidates who lack substantial financial resources, limiting voter options and stifling political diversity. This distortion of democracy results in governance that caters to the interests of the affluent rather than addressing the broader needs of society.

Moreover, the pressure to recoup campaign expenditures often leads elected officials to prioritize personal financial recovery over serving their constituents.

“This explains the temptation or urge to bribe voters. Elections have winners and losers. Candidates and their supporters must go into the race expecting either to lose or to win. Surely, our democracy must not appear like it is on auction for the highest bidder,” Byabakama warned.

Prior to the 2021 general elections, the National Consultative Forum (NCF) for political parties and organizations drafted a proposal to curb electoral financing.

However, the proposal did not materialize after its presentation to Parliament.

Many young people aspiring to contest elections have voiced concerns about the substantial amounts of money involved, which puts them at a disadvantage.

A report by the Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), titled “The Banknote Controlled Voter Consent,” revealed that the 2021 general elections were the most expensive in Uganda’s history.

“The political parties and candidates that participated in the 2021 general elections experienced the most expensive electoral campaign process in terms of campaign spending,” the report noted.

It estimated that a combined total of shs3.98 trillion (approximately USD 1.08 billion) was spent on electioneering activities across the country.