Adjumani West Polls Open as Voters Cast Ballots to Elect New MP

ADJUMANI — The Electoral Commission has confirmed that all necessary preparations for Thursday’s by-election in Adjumani West Constituency have been completed, with polling materials delivered to all 114 polling stations across the constituency.

The by-election, being held today, September 17, 2026, is being conducted to fill the vacant parliamentary seat representing the people of Adjumani West Constituency in Adjumani District.

According to Electoral Commission spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi, all electoral materials required for the exercise have been delivered to each of the 114 polling stations that make up the constituency.

Julius Mucunguzi, Spokesperson Electoral Commission 

Mucunguzi urged all registered voters in Adjumani West to turn up early and in large numbers to exercise their constitutional right to vote for candidates of their choice.

“The call of the Electoral Commission to all registered voters in Adjumani West Constituency is to turn up early and in time and in big numbers and go and cast your ballots in favour of your candidate of choice,” Mucunguzi said.

He reminded voters that polling is scheduled to begin at 7:00am and close at 4:00pm, in accordance with the electoral guidelines.

Mucunguzi further explained that electoral laws provide for the opening of a polling station where there are at least 10 registered voters.

“Polling started at 7 a.m. in the morning and polls shall close at 4 p.m. in the evening,” he said, urging voters not to wait until the last minute to cast their ballots.

EC Leadership Deploys to Constituency

The Electoral Commission has also deployed its senior leadership to oversee the conduct of the by-election. Mucunguzi said the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, together with the Commission's commissioners and senior management, are in Adjumani West Constituency and have been distributed across different areas to supervise the electoral exercise.

He said the presence of the Commission's top leadership demonstrates the importance attached to ensuring that the by-election is conducted in accordance with the law and accepted electoral standards.

“The staff of the Electoral Commission, beginning with the topmost boss of the Commission, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon, together with the commissioners and senior management, are in Adjumani West Constituency, distributed across the constituency to supervise the conduct of this by-election,” Mucunguzi said.

He added that the deployment reflects the Commission's commitment to overseeing a free, fair and transparent electoral process.

EC Warns Against Violence, Intimidation and Bribery

As voters head to the polling stations, the Electoral Commission has appealed to all candidates, their supporters, agents and other participants to maintain peace and strictly comply with electoral laws and guidelines.

Mucunguzi cautioned against violence, intimidation of voters and bribery, saying such acts have no place in the electoral process.

“There should be no incidents of violence. There should be no incidents of intimidation of voters. There should be no incidents of bribery or voter bribery,” he said.

He urged everyone participating in the by-election to conduct themselves peacefully and within the framework of the law.

“Whoever is participating in this by-election must conduct themselves in accordance with the relevant electoral laws. They must conduct themselves peacefully and must follow the guidelines issued by the Electoral Commission,” Mucunguzi said.

He said adherence to the rules will enable residents of Adjumani West to elect their Member of Parliament in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.

The Electoral Commission has consequently encouraged voters to exercise their right peacefully, follow instructions from polling officials and cast their ballots for candidates of their choice.

The Adjumani West by-election follows the death of the former area Member of Parliament, Gen. Moses Ali, on July 18, 2026,which left the parliamentary seat vacant.