Today: Women Across Uganda Elect Sub-County Committees

Women across Uganda are today, Tuesday, August 18, 2026, taking part in elections to choose their committees at the sub-county, municipal division and town council levels, according to the Electoral Commission.

The elections are being conducted through the lining-up method, marking the final stage of the women committee elections at which this voting method will be used.

Speaking about the exercise, Electoral Commission spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi said the elections are being conducted in 2,165 sub-counties across the country.

Mucunguzi explained that eligible voters will line up behind candidates of their choice as they seek to elect five office bearers at the sub-county level.

The positions being contested are chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, publicity secretary and secretary for finance.

According to the Electoral Commission, the electoral college for the sub-county women committee elections is composed of members of the women committees elected at parish level.

For example, Mucunguzi explained that where a sub-county has 10 parishes, each parish contributes five members to the electoral college. This means that such a sub-county would have an electoral college of 50 people, with five representatives coming from each of the ten parishes.

The arrangement is intended to ensure that the newly elected parish-level women leaders participate in selecting their representatives at the next administrative level.

Mucunguzi said the exercise is significant because it brings to an end the use of lining-up as a voting method in the current formation of women committees.

He said the elections at the district and national levels will be conducted through secret ballot, marking a return to the conventional voting method.

“The elections of today for women committees at sub-county level are the last that will be conducted using the lining-up method,” Mucunguzi said.

He added that the subsequent elections at district and national levels will introduce voting by secret ballot, giving voters the opportunity to cast their choices privately.

The Electoral Commission has appealed to candidates, voters, election officials, security personnel and all other stakeholders involved in today's exercise to comply with the laws and guidelines governing the elections.

Mucunguzi urged all participants to follow instructions issued by Electoral Commission officials and to conduct themselves peacefully throughout the process.

The Commission also called on all actors to respect the electoral regulations and ensure that the elections are conducted in an orderly manner and in accordance with the relevant electoral laws.

The sub-county, municipal division and town council elections are part of the wider process of establishing women councils and committees across Uganda.

The Electoral Commission said peaceful participation and adherence to the established procedures will be essential in ensuring that the elections are successfully concluded and that the elected committees assume their responsibilities in representing women at the respective administrative levels.

With today's exercise, the lining-up method will no longer be used for the remaining stages of the women council elections, with secret ballot voting set to take centre stage at district and national levels.