The ongoing political contests, including the heated Bukedea Woman MP race involving Speaker Anita Among, have once again thrust the Electoral Commission (EC) into the public spotlight – and not for the right reasons. Several contestants have expressed frustration and loss of faith in the electoral body, accusing it of bias, corruption, and failure to ensure a fair playing field.
This week, aspirants challenging Speaker of Parliament Anita Among for her Bukedea District Woman MP seat claimed they no longer believe the EC can deliver credible elections. This was after the electoral body upheld an earlier decision to delete their names from the voters’ register. In an affidavit filed before the High Court in Kampala on Monday, the EC, through acting secretary Richard Kamugisha Baabo, stated that it had reviewed the complaints and confirmed that parish tribunals acted within the law when recommending the deletion of the names of Ms Norma Susan Otai (Forum for Democratic Change), Ms Marion Mercy Alupo (National Unity Platform), and Ms Hellen Akol Odeke (Independent).
‘The EC is not for us; it is for the wrong few individuals. They have exposed themselves as an entity that has been compromised,’ Ms Alupo said. Her concerns echo a broader pattern that has emerged across the country, where many political actors feel the institution has strayed from its constitutional mandate of organising free and fair polls. The discontent is not limited to parliamentary races. Aspirants who were blocked from the recent presidential nominations also criticise the Commission.
Former presidential candidate Nancy Kalembe, according to media reports, accused EC officials of soliciting bribes to provide nomination signatures. ‘Certain officials asked me for Shs20 million to get nomination signatures. They later reduced it to Shs14 million. When I submitted my own signatures without bribing them, one shoved me and called them ‘rubbish,” The Nile Post quoted her as having said.
EC faulted
Her frustration mirrors sentiments raised in several election petitions over the years, where courts have faulted the EC for failing to enforce electoral laws and for presiding over flawed processes. In cancelling Erias Nalukoola’s win in the Kawempe North by-election earlier this year, the High Court in Kampala ruled that the EC failed in its constitutional duty to protect the right to vote, leading to the disenfranchisement of more than 16,000 voters at 14 polling stations. Justice Bernard Namanya ruled that the EC should have suspended the voting process after violence broke out in the 14 polling stations where materials were destroyed.
These criticisms have previously been repeated by different groups such as international observers and human rights organisations. Afrobarometer’s latest study shows that despite several changes being introduced in 2015 and 2020, including changes to the EC’s appointment process and campaign financing rules, the public’s confidence in the electoral body remains low. Following President Museveni’s win in the 2016 polls, European Union observers accused the EC of lacking independence.
While “voting was conducted in a calm and peaceful environment in the vast majority of the country”, the EU observers noted a “lack of transparency and independence of the Electoral Commission”.
Loss in trust
While the High Court is set to make a ruling on the Bukedea Woman MP race in the coming weeks, the EC’s position has reopened old wounds as the country prepares for the 2026 General Election. ‘I am not going to follow up on anything, because the actions of the other powerful persons are undisputable in the courts, because I will be wasting my time and money,’ Ms Odeke says. But some political players think EC should have handled the matter better. FDC spokesperson John Kikonyogo questions the Commission’s handling of voter transfers, saying if someone wishes to move from one area to another, there is no reason for the EC to reject the transfer.
‘The best approach is to register that person,’ Kikonyogo says. Mr Steven Masiga, the spokesperson of the Bamasaba Cultural Institution, says removing some aspirants from the voters’ register is wrong. ‘Why would someone be deleted from the register? Every eligible citizen has the right to participate in elections, and such actions undermine the democratic process.’ EC spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi declined to comment on the matter, saying: ‘You have already done a report on this issue and featured the affidavit of the Commission’s Secretary in court. I am not in a position to say anything further about it.’
Uneven playing field
Addressing a press conference in Hoima City on October 8, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Nathan Nandala Mafabi accused security personnel of blocking his campaign activities without any clear reason. The remarks follow an incident in Kagadi District, where security operatives reportedly blocked FDC from canvassing support, a move the party described as evidence of State bias and interference in the electoral process.
National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, also accuses security agencies of preventing him from holding a campaign rally in Iganga Municipality on October 3. In a post on his social media platforms, Mr Kyagulanyi claims security forces barred him from accessing the municipality, despite other presidential candidates having campaigned there earlier.
‘Although two other presidential candidates have so far campaigned in Iganga Municipality, the RDC, RPC, and DPC have insisted that we must not campaign there. They intimidated venue owners until we secured the Oxford High School playground. This morning, they insisted we must not campaign anywhere in the municipality,’ Kyagulanyi posted.
However, police dispute Mr Kyagulanyi’s claims. They say the NUP candidate had been cleared to hold rallies in Mayuge and Iganga districts. While the rally in Mayuge reportedly went ahead without incident, police say Mr Kyagulanyi’s team declined to use the designated route to Iganga Municipality.
But some commentators say police’s role in the campaigns is a direct attack on democracy.
‘When citizens are jailed for participating in politics, it sends a chilling message that dissent will not be tolerated. This not only undermines the credibility of our electoral process but also erodes public trust in the State institutions that are supposed to protect citizens’ rights,’ says Ms Judith Akiding, a political analyst.
‘Suppressing Opposition voices does not solve political disagreements; it only fosters resentment and deepens divisions within society. True stability comes from allowing all citizens to participate freely in the political process,’ she adds.
Ensuring fair playing field
Last month, the EC warned police against blocking presidential candidates from reaching approved venues, saying such actions had fuelled clashes between security officers, candidates and supporters during the 2021 campaign period. While meeting campaign agents of presidential candidates and senior police officials this week, the electoral body said their role is to promote harmony, compliance with electoral laws, and respect for the agreed campaign programme.
‘Our objective is to ensure the process is peaceful, follows electoral laws, abides by the campaign programme that was harmonised, and ensures the entire exercise is conducted in a tranquil atmosphere,’ EC spokesperson Mucunguzi said.
But Opposition leader Proscovia Salaam Musumba from the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) says democracy in Uganda is dead. She claims, without producing evidence, that some politicians have ‘pocketed’ Commissioners in the EC, giving them undue influence over the electoral process. ‘When those in charge manipulate the system, you cannot accept anything good,’ she says.
Restoring public trust
Mr Timothy Chemongesi, the executive director of the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA), says the starting point for restoring public trust in elections is transparency. ‘The EC must open its processes to independent scrutiny, from updating the register to tallying, to handling complaints. It also needs proactive communication and consistent engagement with all political actors, not just the ruling party. Without visible impartiality, no amount of procedural correctness will rebuild trust,’ Mr Chemonges says.
‘When people perceive the system as closed or manipulated, apathy and frustration grow. The Commission must ensure the right to contest and to vote is protected by law and practice, through an auditable voters’ register, clear appeal mechanisms, and punitive action against officials who abuse the process,’ he says. Previously, NUP secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya has argued that the EC’s credibility can only be restored through constitutional amendment.
‘Ugandans have lost confidence in the Commission because it appears to take instructions from the State House,’ Rubongoya said. ‘We need an EC that is answerable to the people, not the regime in power.’
However, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) senior manager in charge of communications, Mr Rogers Mulindwa, says the Opposition is crying foul to win public sympathy. “This is the scenario they are trying to create to win sympathy because, on the ground, they know they don’t have the support,’ Mr Mulindwa says. “They have more time; let them go and campaign. The only situation was in Iganga, where police were directing them where to pass. But because they are troublesome and think that defying police directives wins them sympathy, they created issues for themselves.’
Analysts say restoring public trust will not be easy. It will require institutional reforms, transparent operations, and inclusive leadership. Without these, the EC risks further eroding confidence among Ugandans. ‘The Commission needs to demonstrate neutrality through its actions, ensure fairness in handling nominations, and communicate decisions openly to all stakeholders. The EC should prioritise transparency and accountability,’ Ms Akiding says. But the problem begins with how commissioners are appointed, says Mr Peter Wegulo, who supports FDC.
‘As long as the President alone appoints the EC leadership, Ugandans will see it as a partisan institution. We need an independent, transparent appointment process involving Parliament and civil society,’ he says. However, EC chairperson Simon Byabakama has previously criticised those who claim the Commission is biased.
Addressing stakeholders during a national workshop on Special Interest Groups elections in Kampala in June, Justice Byabakama dismissed long-standing accusations of bias and lack of independence, saying such claims, by mostly Opposition politicians, must be substantiated.
‘The business of saying that as long as you are appointed by someone, you cannot conduct a free and fair election. the law says he who asserts must prove,’ he said. ‘You show us evidence, but when you talk generally without specifics, then I also cannot give you clear answers.’