Kampala, Uganda - The Electoral Commission of Uganda has taken a significant step towards preparing for the upcoming 2025/2026 General Elections by launching its Strategic Plan 2022/2023-2026/2027 and Roadmap.
The event, which was held at Hotel Africana, Kampala, this afternoon, was presided over by the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja. The Commission’s Chairperson, Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon, highlighted the importance of stakeholder collaboration and transparency in ensuring smooth, transparent, free, and fair elections.
The Strategic Plan and Roadmap are designed to enable phased funding of elections, reducing funding pressure on the government and facilitating the Electoral Commission to conduct the elections smoothly. Justice Byabakama emphasized the significance of civic education and inclusive citizen participation in the electoral process, stressing that every stakeholder has a role to play in ensuring free and fair elections. The call for civic education was echoed by Hon. Norbert Mao, who emphasized the need to educate citizens on their roles in the electoral process, as leaders are ultimately picked from citizens.
The Commission appealed to the government to timely approve the creation of new administrative units to ensure that the electoral program and budget remain stable. The Roadmap aims to improve the planning, coordination, and timely implementation of electoral activities, as well as enhancing transparency in the electoral process.
The Strategic Plan’s detailed objectives include enhancing inclusive citizen participation, strengthening stakeholder collaboration, delivering regular free and fair elections, and improving timely, gender and equity-responsive, and accurate information sharing.
The plan also aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Electoral Commission.
The Strategic Plan and Roadmap are the result of extensive research and stakeholder consultations. During the evaluation process, several strengths were identified, including government commitment to fund the electoral process, an enabling legal framework, an experienced and knowledgeable workforce, and the availability and use of technology.
As Uganda gears up for the 2025/2026 General Elections, the Electoral Commission’s Strategic Plan and Roadmap serve as critical guiding documents for ensuring a smooth, transparent, and inclusive electoral process. Civic education and stakeholder collaboration will play a pivotal role in encouraging citizen participation and building public trust and confidence in the electoral process. The successful implementation of the plan will be crucial in conducting elections that truly reflect the democratic aspirations of the nation.
