Electoral Commission Announces Repeat and Residual LC1 Elections for August 1

Kampala, Uganda — The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon, has announced a series of repeat and residual elections for Village (LC1) Council Chairpersons in areas where polling failed to take place or was not completed during Tuesday’s elections.

Speaking at a press conference at the Electoral Commission Headquarters on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, Justice Byabakama said polling for LC1 Chairpersons was successfully conducted in 70,079 out of 71,214 villages, representing a 98.4 percent success rate.

He congratulated registered voters who turned up to exercise their constitutional right to vote, as well as candidates who were elected, noting that polling across the country was generally peaceful, orderly, transparent and well attended.

According to the Commission's preliminary field reports, however, polling could not take place or was not completed in 1,135 villages, representing 1.6 percent of the total number of villages.

Justice Byabakama attributed the disruptions to several factors, including interference by individuals and groups, chaos and violence, destruction of polling materials, tied results, disputes over Village Residents' Registers and the death of duly nominated candidates.

He explained that in some villages, individuals whose names did not appear on the Village Residents' Register presented National Identity Cards and demanded to vote.

The Commission maintained that, under the applicable electoral laws, only residents whose names appeared on the Village Residents' Register were eligible to participate in the elections. Justice Byabakama said the rejection of those who were not on the register in some areas resulted in disruptions that forced the elections to be called off.

He said that where circumstances allowed and polling materials remained intact, some affected village councils agreed to reschedule polling for Wednesday, July 29, while other areas were awaiting further guidance from the Commission.

Fresh Registration and Polling Dates Announced

Following a review of reports from the field, the Electoral Commission announced specific measures to ensure that all affected villages complete the election of their LC1 Chairpersons and form their Village Executive Committees.

Justice Byabakama said that in villages where the Village Residents' Registers were destroyed, vandalised or stolen, fresh registration of willing village residents will be conducted on Thursday, July 30.

The registers will then be displayed on Friday, July 31, before polling is conducted on Saturday, August 1, 2026.

For villages where polling failed because of chaos, violence or other disruptions, but where the Village Residents' Register remains intact, the Commission said polling will also take place on Saturday, August 1, provided the affected villages did not vote on Wednesday.

The Commission also provided a special arrangement for villages where polling was affected by the death of duly nominated candidates.

According to Justice Byabakama, fresh nominations to fill the vacancy created by the deceased candidate will be held on Thursday, July 30, followed by campaigns on Friday, July 31, and polling on Saturday, August 1, 2026.

He clarified that the fresh nominations will only be conducted to fill the vacancy left by the deceased candidate. Candidates who had already been duly nominated will not be required to undergo the nomination process again.

Commission Warns Against Violence

The Electoral Commission Chairperson issued a strong warning to individuals and groups that may attempt to disrupt the repeat and residual elections.

Justice Byabakama urged all stakeholders in villages where polling is yet to take place to maintain peace and conduct themselves in accordance with electoral laws and guidelines issued by the Commission.

He warned that individuals planning to cause violence, chaos or interfere with the remaining electoral activities would face the full force of the law.

The warning comes after the Commission reported that some polling stations experienced disruptions and interference during Tuesday's LC1 elections, with some areas recording violence, destruction of election materials and disputes over voter eligibility.

LC1 Elections Key to Next Electoral Stage

Justice Byabakama said the interventions announced by the Commission are intended to ensure that all villages complete the election of their LC1 Chairpersons and constitute their Village Executive Committees in time to participate in the next stage of the local council electoral process.

The successful completion of the LC1 elections is important because the newly constituted Village Executive Committees will form part of the structures required for the subsequent election of Parish/Ward (LC II) Council Chairpersons.

The Commission therefore appealed to all stakeholders to cooperate with election officials and ensure that the remaining electoral activities are conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law.

Appreciation to Stakeholders

Justice Byabakama also commended election officials, security agencies, the media, political actors, observers and other stakeholders for their contribution to the conduct of the LC1 elections.

He said the Commission remains committed to conducting elections in accordance with the Constitution and applicable electoral laws.

The Chairperson urged all stakeholders to continue upholding peace, respecting the rule of law and cooperating with Electoral Commission officials as the country concludes the remaining LC1 electoral activities.

With polling successfully completed in 98.4 percent of Uganda's villages, attention now shifts to the affected areas where repeat and residual elections will be conducted, with the Commission seeking to conclude the process and enable all villages to constitute their leadership structures ahead of the next phase of the local council elections.