The Electoral Commission (EC) has called on Ugandans to actively participate in the forthcoming Local Council One (LC I) elections, describing the exercise as the foundation of the country's democratic system and one that directly shapes leadership at the grassroots.
Speaking during a post-election stakeholders' engagement in Soroti City, Electoral Commission Deputy Chairperson and Commissioner for the Eastern Region, Hajjat Aisha Lubega, said the long-awaited LC I elections are finally being organised after years of delay due to funding constraints.
Lubega explained that although the elections were due after the last LC I polls held in 2018, the Commission had remained ready to conduct them once government released the necessary funding.
She described the village elections as even more significant than presidential elections because they produce leaders who are closest to the people and directly influence service delivery at the community level.
"The LC I election belongs to the people. These are leaders who are closest to the communities, and citizens should take this opportunity to elect leaders they can hold accountable," Lubega said.
Lubega also defended the use of the lining-up voting system, explaining that it is provided for under the Local Government Act and is not a decision made by the Electoral Commission.
She emphasised that both political party candidates and independents will be allowed to participate under the existing legal framework.
Addressing concerns over the cost of organising the elections, Lubega said the funds allocated are spread across more than 71,000 villages nationwide, covering voter registration, display of voter registers, polling officials, transport and other logistical requirements.
She also clarified that where more than one candidate from the same political party seeks nomination, the Commission registers the first candidate officially presented by the party, urging political organisations to streamline their internal nomination processes.
Responding to concerns that some eligible voters were missing from previous electoral registers, Lubega urged citizens to inspect the voter registers during the display period and report any omissions before polling day.
She noted that the Commission can only rectify such complaints before elections, while disputes arising after voting become matters for the courts.
Lubega also dismissed allegations of "ghost polling stations" during previous elections, explaining that what some voters perceived as additional polling stations were officially approved split polling streams created to ease congestion by reducing the number of voters assigned to each polling station.
On election security, Lubega acknowledged that security agencies play an important role in maintaining law and order, particularly in preventing violence, ballot box theft and other electoral offences.
She said the Electoral Commission continues to engage security agencies to ensure professionalism throughout the electoral process.
Regarding the use of biometric voter verification machines, Lubega admitted that technical challenges affected deployment in some areas during previous elections due to operator credential issues.
However, she maintained that biometric technology remains important for future elections, while clarifying that the upcoming LC I elections will not use biometric verification because voting will be conducted through the legally prescribed lining-up method using village voter registers.
The Electoral Commission has appealed to all eligible Ugandans to verify their names during the voter register display exercise and participate peacefully in the elections, saying strong grassroots leadership begins with active citizen participation.
