The electoral commission Head of Public Relations,  Julius Mucunguzi

BY ROSE KASIGWA

As Uganda gears up for the 2026 general elections, the independent electoral body, the Electoral Commission (EC), is in the advanced stages of its preparations to guarantee a successful and credible electoral exercise.

The electoral commission Head of Public Relations,  Julius Mucunguzi, says all the polling materials have already arrived at the Electoral Commission ahead of January 15^th   general elections.
Mucunguzi says the electoral body has now started parking all the polling materials ready for dispatching to districts then to polling stations.

Mucunguzi further emphasizes that Ugandans should stay away from the polling stations during the voting day to avoid congestion and Violence that may occur.

The opposition Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party has reiterated its position urging the Electoral Commission to use both the national voters register and biometric voter verification machines during the upcoming general elections to ensure a smooth electoral process.

The Electoral Commission recently announced that it will rely on biometric voter verification machines to enhance the credibility and transparency of the elections. 

According to the Commission, a total of 109,142 Biometric Voter Verification Kits have been procured and will be deployed across 50,739 polling stations nationwide.

The kits will verify voters’ identities using fingerprints and facial recognition, with each verification expected to take between 30 and 60 seconds. 

Speaking to the media, UPC Head of Media and Communications Faizo Muzeyi said that while the biometric system is a positive step, it may experience technical failures, making it necessary to retain the national voters register as a backup to avoid disenfranchising voters.