The Electoral Commission has today updated Ugandans and concerned stakeholders on the progress of the programme for the election of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Committees, and other matters related to the implementation of the Roadmap for 2025-2026 General Elections.
Addressing the press at EC Headquarters in Kampala, Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, the Chairperson, Electoral Commission, noted that as part of the implementation of the 2025/2026 General Elections Roadmap, the Electoral Commission is conducting elections for Older Persons, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and Youth Committees at the Village/Cell level.
He said the exercise commenced with the nomination of candidates for Village/Cell Committees for all three Special Interest Groups (SIGs), which were conducted concurrently from Monday 2nd June to Tuesday, 10th June, 2025 at the respective Sub County/Town Council/Municipal Division headquarters.
Campaigns were conducted from Thursday, 12th to Saturday, 14th June 2025, and polling for the various SIGs commenced this week in all the 71,208 (seventy-one thousand two hundred and eight) villages across the country.
According to the EC, polling for Village Older Persons Committees was conducted on 16th June, 2025; polling for Village PwD (PwD) Committees was conducted on 17th June, 2025 and polling for Village Youth Committees is scheduled to take place on 19th June, 2025.
“The mode for the conduct of the above elections is by the voters (members of the respective electoral colleges) lining up behind candidates’ portraits or candidates’ symbols or candidates’ agents or the individual candidates of their choice,” Byabakama said, thanking members of the electoral colleges for Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities for the peaceful conduct of the nominations, campaigns and elections at the village level.
“The reports we have received from across the country so far, indicate that the concluded village committee elections were peaceful and conducted in an atmosphere of tranquility,” he said.
Election of Youth Committees at the Village
He said the Electoral Commission elections for Youth Committees at Village/Cell level will take place tomorrow, Thursday, 19th June, 2025.
The Village/Cell Youth Council shall consist of youths who reside in the Village/Cell and who are willing to be members of the Village/Cell Youth Council.
The Youth Committee shall have the following elective offices: Chairperson; Vice Chairperson; General Secretary; Publicity Secretary; Secretary for Women Youth, who shall be a female; Secretary for Student Affairs who shall be a student; Secretary for Labour Affairs; Secretary for Sports and Culture; and Secretary for Finance.
The members of Youth Committee shall be elected by members of the Youth Council from among their number.
“Please note that for voting in the Youth Committees Elections, voters will appear on the Voters’ Registers, which have been compiled based on their respective places (villages/cells) of residence. Therefore, for purposes of these elections, voters will not appear on the Register of their place (village) of origin, unless the voter’s place of origin is the same as his/her place (village) of residence,” he said.
Appeal for Peaceful Electoral Processes
The Electoral Commission says it has noted that some candidates have indicated plans to form groups, for example, youth brigades, to provide security for their supporters during the ongoing campaigns and to guard their interests (votes and results) at the village polling stations on polling day.
“These individuals have justified their intentions by alleging that the legally mandated state security organs (Police) are either partial or unprepared to secure the electoral environment during the Village Youth Committee Elections. The Electoral Commission would like to dismiss such claims as unfounded and irresponsible acts, which may create un-necessary anxiety and/or confusion among the voters and the people of Uganda, generally,” Byabakama said.
He reiterate that it is only the Uganda Police, which is in charge of providing security during the electoral process, including Special Interest Groups elections.
“Political parties and organisations, and independent candidates, are urged to desist from forming any parallel groups such as youth brigades and militias, as this is against electoral laws, and it is outside the constitutional means of achieving peaceful and credible elections,” he said, adding that the message of the Commission to the youth as they go to elect their village committees, tomorrow, is this:
(a) You are our valued young people. We call upon you to come out and participate fully, effectively and most importantly, peacefully in the village committee elections taking place tomorrow;
(b) Follow the guidelines that will be provided to you by staff of the Electoral Commission;
(c) Desist from involving yourselves in unlawful activities;
(d) Reject violence;
(e) Respect one another as you participate in the electoral process;
(f) Do not use language that is inflammatory and sows hatred;
(g) Do not use social media to spread unverified information, misinformation, disinformation or fake news;
(h) Remember that elections bring winners and losers, but that should not divide us;
(i) Elections will come and go, but our country, your country, Uganda, will remain. Let us make sure that we keep the country peaceful, united and progressing.
Guidance To All Aspiring Candidates For 2025/2026 General Elections On The Timelines For Resignation As Public Servants And Establishment Of Academic Qualifications
Requirement for Resignation and Verification of Academic Qualifications
The Electoral Commission has once again informed and guided all persons aspiring to contest for the respective elective offices of the President, Member of Parliament, and District Chairpersons that they are required to prove resignation from public office, if any, and completion of a minimum formal education of Advanced Level standard or its equivalent, among other nomination requirements.
Aspiring candidates in possession of an Advanced Level Certificate of Education obtained in Uganda or qualifications higher than the prescribed qualification obtained in Uganda or obtained from the former University of East Africa or any of its constituent colleges, then, shall not be required to verify their qualification with the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).
Establishment of Academic Qualifications
Under Section 4 (6) of the Presidential Elections Act; Section 4 (5) of the Parliamentary Elections Act; and Section 123 (4) of the Local Governments Act), persons wishing to stand for the respective elective offices of the President, Member of Parliament, and District Chairpersons shall be required to establish their qualifications with the Electoral Commission as persons holding a minimum qualification of advanced level or its equivalent at least two months before nomination day.
According to EC, the categories of academic qualifications that should be established with the Electoral Commission are: –
(a) persons who obtained their qualification from Uganda or outside Uganda, who are claiming to have their qualification accepted as equivalent to Advanced Level Education;
(b) persons claiming to have an advanced level qualification obtained from outside Uganda; and,
(c) persons claiming to have academic degrees which were obtained from outside Uganda.
“A person required to establish his or her qualification(s) under (b) (i) and (ii) above shall do so by production of a certificate issued to him or her by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in consultation with the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB),” Byabakama said, adding: “A person who claims to possess an academic degree referred to in 3 (iii) above shall, prove to the satisfaction of the National Council for Higher Education that admission to that qualification was obtained based on the Advanced Level Standard of Education or its equivalent, before the certificate can be issued by the National Council for Higher Education.”
Byabakama says the Electoral Commission shall not accept a Statutory Declaration or Affidavit as evidence of an academic qualification.
“For avoidance of doubt, establishing any person’s qualifications shall not be done by the respective Electoral District Returning Officers on nomination day. Aspiring candidates shall be required to present their letters of clearance for nominations issued by the Electoral Commission upon establishing their qualification(s),” he said.
He added that the Commission will furnish the respective Electoral District Returning Officers with the list of aspiring candidates in that District who have established their academic qualifications with the Electoral Commission.
“A person shall not be regarded as duly nominated and the nomination paper of any person shall be regarded as void if the requirement for establishment of qualifications with the Commission as persons holding a minimum qualification of advanced level or its equivalent is not complied with, that is to say, two months before nomination day,” he said.
Subject to the legal provisions on timelines for the establishment of qualifications with the Commission as persons holding a minimum qualification of advanced level or its equivalent, aspiring candidates are required to comply with the following deadlines: Presidential 1st August, 2025; Parliamentary 16th July, 2025; Local Government Councils (District Chairpersons) 3rd July, 2025.
Requirements for Re-verification and Re-establishment of Academic Documents
According to the EC;
(i) All those persons who had their academic qualifications verified in previous elections will, for purposes of the General Elections, 2025/2026, be required to reverify their academic qualifications with the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in consultation with the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB);
(ii) They will also be required to re-establish their qualifications with the Electoral Commission following Sec. 4 (7) of the Presidential Elections Act, Sec. 4 (6) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, and Sec. 123 (5) and (6) of the Local Government Act;
(iii) All persons previously issued with certificates under Section 4 (7) of the Presidential Elections Act, Section 4 (6) of the Parliamentary Elections Act and Section 123 (5) and (6) of the Local Governments Act, and have since attained higher qualifications in Uganda shall NOT be required to verify their academic qualifications with the NCHE in consultation with UNEB;
(iv) All persons previously issued with certificates under Section 4 (7) of the Presidential Elections Act, Section 4 (6) of the Parliamentary Elections Act and Section 123 (5) and (6) of the Local Governments Act, and have since attained higher qualifications outside Uganda shall be required to establish their academic qualifications with NCHE in consultation with UNEB.
(d) Resignation from Public Office
As per Section 4 (5) of the Presidential Elections Act, Section 4(4)(a) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, and Section 129 (5) of the Local Governments Act:
(i) A public officer or a person employed in any government department or agency of the government, or an employee of a local government, or anybody in which the Government has a controlling interest, who wishes to stand for election as President shall resign his or her office before nomination day;
(ii) A public officer or a person employed in any government department or agency of the government or an employee of a local government or anybody in which the government has controlling interest, who wishes to stand for election as a Member of Parliament shall resign his or her office at least ninety days (90) before nomination day;
(iii) A public officer or a person employed in any government department or agency of the government or an employee of a local government or anybody in which the government has controlling interest, who wishes to stand for election as a District/City Chairperson/Lord Mayor shall resign his or her office at least thirty (30) days before nomination day;
(iv) All persons who fall under the category of Special Interest Groups aspiring to be elected to the respective Village, Parish/Ward, Sub-county/Town/Municipal Division, Municipality/City Division and District/City Older Persons (OPs) Committees, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) Committees and Youth Committees, who are employed in any government department or agency of the government or an employee of a local government or anybody in which the government has controlling interest, who wish to stand for election shall resign his or her office before nomination day;
According to the legal provisions on timelines for resignation before nominations, aspiring candidates are required to comply with the following deadlines: Special Interest Groups: Older Persons Committees; PWDs Committees and Youth Committees- 28th April, 2025; Parliamentary 13th June, 2025; Local Government Councils 2nd August, 2025; Presidential 1st October, 2025.
“Please note that a person shall not be regarded as duly nominated and the nomination paper of any person shall be regarded as void if the requirement for resignation from public office within the prescribed timeline by law is not complied with before nomination day. Furthermore, the evidence of receipt of resignation shall be presented to the Returning Officer together with the nomination paper,” Byabakama said.
Participation In Political Activities Of Political Parties By The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, The Uganda Police Force, The Uganda Prisons Service, Public Officers, And Traditional Or Cultural Leaders
According to the EC, a member of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda Prisons Service or a public officer or a traditional or cultural leader, or a person employed in a company wholly owned by the government shall not:
(i) be a founder, promoter or other member of a political party or organisation;
(ii) hold office in a political party or organisation;
(iii) speak in public or publish anything involving matters of political party or organisation controversy; or
(iv) engage in canvassing support of a political party or organisation or a candidate standing for public election sponsored by a political party or organisation.
Sponsorship Of Candidates By Political Parties And Organisations
According to the EC;
(a) The nomination of candidates may be made by a registered political organisation or political party sponsoring a candidate.
(b) Where a candidate is sponsored by a political party/organisation, the nomination paper shall be endorsed and SEALED by the political party/organisation sponsoring the candidate.
(c) The Secretary General of a party or organisation or a person designated by him or her shall ensure that the nomination papers are endorsed and sealed.
(d) The list of persons designated by the Secretary General of a party or organisation for purposes of (c) above should be communicated to the Electoral Commission Head Office and the office of the respective Electoral District Returning Officers before the appointed nomination dates.
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