Justice Byabakama Outlines Final Preparations for Village Women, LC I Elections

Kampala – The Electoral Commission has outlined the final preparations for Uganda’s 2026 elections for Village (LC I) Chairpersons and Village Women Committees, with polling for the two grassroots leadership structures scheduled for July 23 and July 28 respectively.

The roadmap was presented by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Byabakama Mugyenyi Simon, who said the Commission had successfully completed several key activities ahead of the elections and called on all eligible voters, candidates and other stakeholders to comply with electoral laws and guidelines.

Justice Byabakama said the Commission launched the electoral programme on June 22, 2026, and had since undertaken a series of activities, including the verification of residents, compilation and display of village registers, nomination of candidates and the commencement of campaigns.

71,214 Villages Covered

According to the Electoral Commission Chairperson, the compilation of the Village Council (LC I) Register and the Village Women’s Council Register was conducted between July 6 and July 10, 2026, across all 71,214 villages in the country.

The exercise involved the compilation of two separate registers.

The first was the Village Council General Register, which will be used to elect Village (LC I) Chairpersons and approve members of Village Executive Committees.

The second was the Village Women’s Council Register, which will facilitate the election of members of Village Women’s Committees.

Justice Byabakama expressed appreciation to Ugandans and other stakeholders who participated in the registration exercise, saying their cooperation contributed to the compilation of accurate and reliable registers for the elections.

The registers were subsequently displayed from July 13 to July 14, allowing residents to verify their particulars, including their names, National Identification Numbers or Application Identification Numbers, age, gender and village of residence.

The display exercise also provided an opportunity for residents to report ineligible persons for removal from the respective registers.

Candidates Nominated

The nomination of candidates for Village (LC I) Chairpersons and Village Women Committee positions was conducted from July 15 to July 19, 2026, at Sub-County, Town and Municipal Division headquarters across the country.

The Electoral Commission congratulated all candidates who were successfully nominated and acknowledged political parties and organisations that presented candidates, as well as independent candidates who offered themselves for election.

The Commission has, however, received complaints and concerns arising from both the compilation of the registers and the nomination exercise.

Justice Byabakama said some complaints relating to the registers had been handled by the respective Parish Complaints Committees, while other complaints, particularly those arising from the nomination process, had been referred to the Electoral Commission for hearing and determination.

He said the Commission would begin hearing the complaints on Wednesday, July 22, and assured stakeholders that decisions and appropriate lawful actions would be communicated.

The Chairperson appealed for patience from the public and all stakeholders as the Commission handles the complaints.

Women’s Committee Elections Set for July 23

The Electoral Commission has set Thursday, July 23, 2026, as polling day for the election of Village Women Committees.

The campaign period for the elections, which commenced on July 20, will end on July 22. 

Each Village Women Committee will consist of five members: a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Publicity Secretary and Secretary for Finance.

Justice Byabakama said voting would take place in a public or open place within the respective village. In accordance with the law, women will vote by lining up behind their preferred candidates, their representatives, portraits or symbols.

The Electoral Commission has urged all women who registered for the elections to participate in large numbers and vote peacefully.

Justice Byabakama said participation in the grassroots elections would help strengthen democracy, promote inclusive leadership and contribute to the development of communities.

He also encouraged eligible women to elect leaders capable of representing their interests and championing issues affecting women at the community level.

LC I Chairperson Campaigns Underway

Meanwhile, candidates for Village (LC I) Chairperson, who were nominated between July 15 and July 19, are currently campaigning across the country.

The campaign period runs for eight days, from July 20 to July 27, 2026.

The Commission has directed that campaign meetings and public rallies must be held only between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. during the stipulated campaign period.

Candidates are also required to restrict their physical campaign activities to their respective villages and are not permitted to campaign outside their villages.

Polling for Village (LC I) Chairpersons will take place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in all 71,214 villages across Uganda, with each village serving as a polling station.

Voting will begin at 7:00 a.m. and close at 4:00 p.m.

As provided for under Section 111(2) of the Local Governments Act, voting will be conducted through lining up behind nominated candidates, their representatives, portraits or symbols.

Voting Day Programme

The Electoral Commission has provided a detailed programme to guide the conduct of the LC I Chairperson elections.

Between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., the Village Election Official, serving as the Presiding Officer, will assemble and verify voters.

From 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., voters will receive education and a briefing on voting procedures.

The actual voting, involving voters lining up behind their preferred candidates, and the counting of votes will take place between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

From 11:30 a.m. to noon, the Village Election Official will fill Form EC10 and declare the elected Village Chairperson.

Between noon and 4:00 p.m., the elected Village Chairperson will nominate members of the Village Executive Committee from among the Village Council members present. The nominees will then be approved individually by the Council through a show of hands, with the process recorded on Form EC11.

New Village Executive Committees

The Commission explained that the elected Village Chairperson will nominate several members to the Village Executive Committee.

These include the Vice Chairperson, who will also serve as Secretary for Children Welfare; General Secretary; Secretary for Information, Education and Mobilization; Secretary for Security; Secretary for Finance; and Secretary for Production and Environmental Protection.

Other members will join the Village Executive Committee by virtue of their election as leaders of special interest groups.

These include the Chairperson of the Village Youth Council, who will serve as Secretary for Youths; the Chairperson of the Village Women Council, who will serve as Secretary for Women and Public Health Coordinator; the Chairperson of the organisation for Persons with Disabilities, who will serve as Secretary for Persons with Disabilities Affairs; and the Chairperson of the Village Council of Older Persons, who will serve as Secretary for the Council of Older Persons.

Commission Warns Stakeholders to Follow the Law

Justice Byabakama urged candidates, political parties, organisations and other stakeholders to familiarise themselves with the relevant laws and guidelines governing the electoral programme.

He noted that the elections are progressive in nature, moving from the Village to the Parish level for administrative units, while the Women Councils and Committees elections progress from the Village to the National level.

The Commission has also called on political parties and organisations to study the electoral programme and undertake necessary preparations, including the selection of flag bearers, in time to meet the requirements for each stage of the electoral process.

Health Guidelines

The Electoral Commission further reminded stakeholders that the elections are being conducted in an environment affected by Ebola and urged all participants to observe guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of the virus.

Justice Byabakama called upon all Ugandans to participate in the electoral programme while adhering to the established laws and guidelines.

He said compliance by candidates, voters, political parties, election officials and other stakeholders would be critical in ensuring that the grassroots elections are conducted peacefully and smoothly.

The Village Women Committee elections will take place on July 23, followed by the Village (LC I) Chairperson elections on July 28, with the Electoral Commission expected to oversee the process across all 71,214 villages in the country.