EC Concludes Nominations for District and City Women Committee Elections

The Electoral Commission has concluded the nomination exercise for candidates seeking to contest for positions on women committees at district and city levels, with elections scheduled for Friday, August 28, 2026.

The nominations were conducted across all 146 districts that constitute Uganda, marking the next stage in the ongoing elections for women committees, which have progressively been held from the village to parish and sub-county levels.

According to Electoral Commission spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi, the district and city-level elections will introduce important changes in the way the polls are conducted, particularly in the voting method and composition of the Electoral College.

Julius Mucunguzi Spokesperson Electoral Commission(above)

Mucunguzi said that unlike the previous women committee elections at village, parish and sub-county levels, where voters have used other prescribed voting methods, the district and city elections will be conducted through a secret ballot using ballot papers.

He explained that the law governing women committee elections requires voting to be conducted by secret ballot and through ballot papers once the elections reach the district and national levels.

“This is the first difference that is happening during this election on Friday,” Mucunguzi said.

Sub-County Women Chairpersons Form Electoral College

Another major feature of the August 28 elections will be the composition of the Electoral College.

Mucunguzi explained that the people eligible to participate in electing women committee leaders at district and city levels will primarily be chairpersons of women committees at the sub-county level within the respective district.

For example, if a district has 10 sub-counties, the Electoral College will comprise the 10 women chairpersons representing those sub-counties.

However, the Electoral College will also include a representative of women with disabilities, whose nomination and participation are provided for under the electoral laws.

Therefore, in a district with 10 sub-counties, the Electoral College will consist of 10 sub-county women committee chairpersons and one woman representing women with disabilities, bringing the total number of members to 11.

The arrangement is intended to ensure that the district-level women committee elections are conducted through a clearly defined Electoral College in accordance with the law.

Campaigns Begin August 25

With nominations now concluded, candidates who were duly nominated will enter the campaign period ahead of Friday's elections.

The Electoral Commission has set August 25 to August 27, 2026, as the official campaign period for the district and city women committee elections.

During this period, candidates will be permitted to engage members of the Electoral College, present their programmes and explain the agenda they intend to pursue if elected.

Mucunguzi urged all duly nominated candidates to use the campaign period responsibly and ensure that they reach out to members of the Electoral College while adhering to the guidelines issued by the Electoral Commission.

The candidates will then face the Electoral College on Friday, August 28, when voting will take place.

EC Calls for Peaceful Elections

The Electoral Commission has also called upon all candidates, voters and other stakeholders participating in the district and city women committee elections to maintain peace and observe the electoral guidelines.

Mucunguzi urged participants to conduct themselves peacefully, follow the guidelines issued by the Commission and comply with all applicable electoral laws.

The call comes as the Electoral Commission moves to complete another stage of the women committee elections, following the successful conduct of elections at lower administrative levels.

The district and city elections will therefore be closely watched as they mark a transition to a more formal Electoral College system and the use of secret ballots and ballot papers.

The exercise is expected to pave the way for the subsequent national-level women committee elections, where the law also provides for elections through secret ballot and ballot papers.

Mucunguzi reiterated the Commission's commitment to ensuring that the elections are conducted in accordance with the law and urged all participants to respect the electoral process.

The district and city women committee elections will be held on Friday, August 28, 2026, following three days of campaigns from August 25 to 27.