Electoral Commission Outlines Approved Allowances and e-Cash Payments for 2025–2026 Election Officials

The Electoral Commission has released a comprehensive update detailing the approved rates of allowances for all temporary officials who served during the 2025–2026 General Elections and the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) elections, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring that every duly appointed official is paid in accordance with their appointment terms.

In a communication issued by the Secretary to the Commission, Richard Baabo Kamugisha, the Commission outlined the specific rates payable to Presiding Officers, Polling Assistants, Police Constables, BVVK Operators, Tally Clerks, Sub-county Supervisors, Parish Supervisors, and officials who participated in SIG elections from village to district level.

Clear Breakdown of Allowance Rates

The Commission clarified that the rates communicated in individual appointment letters remain the official basis for payment.

For Sub-county Supervisors, facilitation covered transport and lunch during issuance of Voter Location Slips (UGX 140,000), safari day allowances during nominations and campaigns (UGX 345,000), polling day safari allowances (UGX 57,500), and transport for Biometric Voter Verification (BVV) training (UGX 50,000), among other facilitation components.

Parish Supervisors received similar facilitation, including UGX 140,000 for VLS issuance, UGX 345,000 safari day allowances during nominations and campaigns, UGX 40,000 transport facilitation for voter education, and UGX 57,500 for polling day activities.

For Polling Day Officials, payments were structured per election category. Presiding Officers received UGX 100,000 per election category (Presidential and Parliamentary, District/City, Municipality/Division, and Sub-county/Town Council elections), while Polling Assistants and Police Constables received UGX 75,000 per category.

BVVK Operators, who played a critical role in biometric voter verification, received UGX 100,000 per election category, alongside transport allowances for training and refresher sessions.

Tally Clerks were allocated UGX 50,000 as training allowance and UGX 300,000 per election category handled.

For Special Interest Groups elections — Youth, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and Older Persons councils — Presiding Officers received UGX 50,000, while Polling Assistants and Polling Constables received UGX 40,000 per election.

Payment Modalities and Status Update

The Commission emphasized that, except where expressly indicated, payments to polling day officials are being processed exclusively through e-cash platforms. Payments are strictly remitted to the mobile telephone numbers submitted during job application.

According to the update:

Officials who served during the Presidential and Parliamentary elections held on January 15, 2026 have already been paid via e-cash.

Payments for District/City Local Government elections (January 22, 2026), Municipality/City Division elections (January 27, 2026), and Sub-county/Town Council elections (February 4, 2026) are currently under processing.

Other categories, including repeat elections, will be processed subsequently.

Addressing Payment Delays

The Commission acknowledged challenges affecting some payments. In particular, mismatches between submitted mobile numbers and registered names in the Commission’s database have led to bounced or delayed transactions. Affected officials have been contacted through their respective Returning Officers and advised to correct their details to enable successful payment.

Additionally, in cases where officials served in one electoral activity but did not participate in subsequent election cycles, Returning Officers have submitted revised lists of eligible beneficiaries. The Commission confirmed that the corresponding allowances for these officials are currently being processed.

Assurance to Temporary Officials

Kamugisha reassured all temporary election officials who were duly appointed and served during the electoral cycle that their allowances will be paid at the approved rates and in line with their appointment letters.

The Commission expressed gratitude for the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by temporary officials, noting that their contribution was instrumental in delivering the 2025–2026 General Elections within the timelines set out in the national electoral roadmap.

For further inquiries, the Commission advised affected individuals to contact its toll-free line: 0800 252700.

The detailed clarification is expected to ease concerns among temporary officials and enhance transparency in the post-election accountability process.