By Spy Uganda
During the plenary session on August 15, 2024, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja announced that the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Nobert Mao, will soon present a comprehensive statement to Parliament outlining the roadmap leading to the 2026 general elections.
This announcement coincides with concerns raised in the Minority Report on the 2024/25 National Budget, which revealed that the Electoral Commission requires UGX 2.3 trillion over the next two years to prepare for and conduct the 2026 elections, with UGX 1.3 trillion allocated solely for the election process.
The report also highlighted that the number of elected leaders in Uganda is expected to grow to approximately 3.3 million following the 2026 elections, up from the 2.8 million leaders elected in 2021. These figures include Members of Parliament, district chairpersons, councilors, youth leaders, leaders for persons with disabilities, leaders for the elderly, women leaders, and village leaders.
However, even as preparations for the 2026 elections are underway, some Local Council I (LCI) leaders elected in 2021 have yet to receive their official instruments of power.
Sarah Opendi (Tororo DWR) informed Parliament that the government’s delay in providing stamps to some LCI leaders has hindered citizens’ access to essential services, such as passports and national IDs.
Opendi highlighted that despite the formal launch of LCI stamps by the Ministry of Local Government nearly four years ago, many leaders in her district have yet to receive them. In response, Victoria Busingye, Minister of State for Local Government, confirmed that most LCIs had been issued stamps and urged MPs to instruct their district’s Chief Administrative Officers to formally request any missing stamps from the Ministry.
Peter Okot (Tochi County) corroborated this, noting that while most LCIs have received their stamps, those appointed as caretakers in villages where elections were not conducted have not. He explained that these stamps are being withheld at the district level due to a directive from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government.
This issue arises amid recent developments in July 2024, when Minister of Local Government Raphael Magyezi extended the term of office for LCI leaders by another 180 days, citing financial constraints that prevented the Ministry of Finance from allocating UGX 50 billion to the Electoral Commission for organizing elections.
Magyezi emphasized that while Regulation 11 of the Local Government Act allows such extensions, the term cannot exceed 180 days, ensuring that local councils can continue functioning without causing administrative paralysis.
