Electoral Commission Requires Shs1.1 Trillion for Successful Organization of 2026 General Elections

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The Electoral Commission has revealed to legislators on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee that they are confronted with a substantial funding shortfall of Shs960 billion for the Financial Year 2024/2025, crucial for electoral preparations leading up to the 2026 general elections.

Out of the total budget requirement of Shs1.1 trillion needed to organize the 2026 polls, the Ministry of Finance has only allocated Shs150 billion, leaving a significant deficit in funding.

Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Simon Byabakama, led the Commission’s officials in presenting their budget estimate for the FY 2024/2025 before the committee on Wednesday.

Several critical activities are at risk of being affected by the funding shortfall, including the demarcation of new constituencies, reorganization of polling stations, compilation of general registers, voter education, and other statutory requirements.

The committee expressed reservations about the budget allocation, suggesting that other areas of service delivery should be prioritized.

According to the Electoral Commission’s budget estimate, additional funds are required for various purposes, including recruitment of new staff in the newly established 10 cities (Shs1.6 billion), anticipated by-elections (Shs15.3 billion), voter education (Shs3.3 billion), operationalization of EC offices in the new cities (Shs7.9 billion), and procurement of new fleet (Shs3.9 billion).

Additionally, capital development (Shs7.2 billion), national consultative forum (Shs3.3 billion), addressing domestic arrears (Shs10.4 billion), and restructuring of the Electoral Commission (Shs9.3 billion) are among the key budgetary needs.

The Commission highlighted challenges in implementing court rulings that allow Ugandans in the diaspora and those in prisons to participate in general polls, further complicating their electoral preparations.