The Electoral Commission of Uganda, also Uganda Electoral Commission, is a constitutionally established organ of the
Government of Uganda
Uganda is a presidential republic in which the President of Uganda is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government business. There is a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is ...
, whose mandate is to "organise and conduct regular, free and fair elections" in the country, in an efficient, professional and impartial manner.
Location
The Electoral Commission maintains its headquarters at 55 Jinja Road, in the
Central Division of
Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and R ...
, the capital and largest city in Uganda. The coordinates of the headquarters of the Uganda Electoral Commission are:0°19'00.0"N, 32°35'39.0"E (Latitude:0.316675; Longitude:32.594154).
History
The law establishing the electoral commission was promulgated in 1997. The first Electoral commission served from 1997 until 2002. The current commission came into office in 2016 for a seven-year term, renewable once only. This commission headed by Justice of the High Court, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, replaces that which was headed by Engineer
Badru Kiggundu that served two terms (2002–2009 and 2009–2016). Other commissioners include Hajjat Aisha Lubega (vice chairperson) and commissioners Peter Emorut, Steven Tashobya, Justine Ahabwe Mugabi, Nathaline Etomaru and Mustapha Ssebaggala Kigozi. During their first year in office, they organised and supervised by-elections. The first nationwide election that they are expected to organise is the election of the ''Local Council'' leaders. As of April 2018, those were being delayed by lack of sufficient funds.
Commissioners
The following are the current commissioners (2016–2022)
The new team was sworn in on 17 January 2017.
#
Simon Mugenyi Byabakama
Simon Mugenyi Byabakama is a Ugandan lawyer and judge, on the Court of Appeal of Uganda, which doubles as the country's Constitutional Court. He was appointed to the court of appeal on 11 October 2015.
On 18 November 2016, Justice Simon Byabak ...
: Chairperson
# Hajjat Aisha Lubega: Deputy Chairperson
# Peter Emorut: Commissioner
# Justine Ahabwe Mugabi: Commissioner
# Stephen Tashobya: Commissioner
# Mustapha Ssebagala Kigozi: Commissioner
# Nathaline Etomaru: Commissioner
Controversy
The Electoral Commission has repeatedly been accused of not begin impartial. In the Presidential Elections of 2021 there were 409 polling stations with a 100% turnout, all of which were won by president Museveni. Election forms (so-called Declaration of Results) have been altered at the advantage of president Museveni in a way that the Electoral Commission has not been able to explain.
References
External links
Website of Electoral Commission of Uganda Staging an election in Uganda: Kiggundu’s third act - 2 March 2016
{{authority control
Government agencies of Uganda
Politics of Uganda
Law of Uganda
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
1997 establishments in Uganda