By: Suzan Kobusingye
Kampala, Uganda – The Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) has expressed concern over the omission of Local Council I, II, and Women Council elections from the revised roadmap for the 2025-2026 general elections.
This comes after the chairperson of Uganda Electoral Commission (EC)Justice Simon Byabakama released the revised electoral roadmap for the 2026 general elections, leaving out the LC1,2 and Women council elections. “We are going to begin the demarcation of electoral areas and reorganization of polling stations in August 2024,” Byabakama said.
Addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Kampala, the spokesperson Sharon Oyat Arach reiterated UPC’s commitment to advocating for the inclusion of LC1 and 2 elections, stressing their significance in the democratic process.”The Party would like to encourage the Independent Electoral Commission and other key government institutions to consider conducting the elections of these important structures.”
Despite the above concern, Arach welcomed the IEC’s efforts to prepare for the general elections, emphasizing the importance of UPC member participation in the preparatory activities that shall involve demarcation of electoral areas and reorganization of polling stations, scheduled for August 6-16, 2024. “UPC calls upon members to monitor closely and participate in this key activity of demarcating electoral areas and re-organising polling stations.” Arach stated
Looking ahead, the new roadmap sets June 2025 as the start date for the nomination and election of candidates for Special Interest Groups (SIGs), including youths, older persons, and persons with disabilities. Arach rallied their members interested in the above categories to utilise the opportunity saying,”We would like to encourage our leaders and the entire membership especially the youth wing as well as other SIG categories to gear up the mobilisation and offer themselves for leadership in those respective elective positions across the country.”
According to the Electoral body, the nominations for presidential and parliamentary elections will be conducted between Sept. 17 and Oct. 3, 2025, while the campaigns will commence in the second week of October 2025, with the polling for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on Jan. 12, 2026.
