Opinion: Roadmap to 2026 elections: How prepared are the parties?

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Farouk Kirenda

On Wednesday, July 31, 2024, the Electoral Commission released the roadmap for the 2025-2026 general elections. Yes, we are going to have another round of national elections soon, which is a very important matter in the administration and governance of our country and requires everyone’s attention.

Uganda holds general elections every five years to elect the president, members of parliament, and leaders of local councils from district/city to village levels. General elections are the pinnacle of democratic practice. Every citizen is asked to participate, and this is the best opportunity to shape the country’s future.

According to the Electoral Commission, there are about 3.3 million positions at all levels. The Electoral Commission will initiate the process of forming new administrative units and carry out other preparatory work, including compiling an updated voters register, which will be published between April 18 and May 8, 2025.

Next year (2025) will be an important year. This year candidates will be nominated at all levels. Key dates include presidential nominations closing on October 3 and parliamentary nominations closing on September 17. Ugandans will go to the polls between January 12 and February 9, 2026.

Everything about the 2026 election suggests that it will be larger than previous elections in many ways; there will be more voters (including expatriates and prisoners), more elected positions, more administrative units, more polling stations, and upgraded systems and electoral infrastructure in the ICT era.

If we expect more voters to be eligible to vote, including those from previously unconsidered “constituencies” such as expatriates and prisoners, then we must all be prepared in time to prevent avoidable challenges that could dwarf the impact of Covid-19. The Electoral Commission should be commended for carrying out its activities in accordance with its constitutional mandate to achieve free, fair and well-organized elections.

Uganda has had a multi-party system since 2005-2006, which means that the ongoing election cycle will be conducted according to an arrangement where political parties occupy the center of competition and independents stand on the side. So, are the political parties ready to integrate into the overall roadmap of the Electoral Commission?

Before the Election Commission nominates candidates, political parties must complete their internal party primaries from which the Election Commission draws candidates for their respective party tickets or cards. Of the registered or contesting political parties, how many have already developed a roadmap and started implementing the corresponding activities? Most, if not all, political parties are likely to be caught off guard by the Election Commission’s plans and we expect that they will rush out plans in an attempt to fit into the national electoral plan. It is recommended to start the electoral process as early as possible to increase efficiency and reduce challenges. Elections are a predictable event that takes place at regular intervals (five years). It would be negligent and unserious for party leaders to fail to prepare given the full five years to develop the necessary plans.

As a nation, we celebrate the gift and opportunity of exercising our democratic rights while always working to organize successive elections that are better than the last. We must have clearer voter registries, we must have transparent internal party primaries, we must have real candidates, we must have a more civic-minded population, a more coordinated electoral and campaigning program, and create enough time for stakeholders to dialogue on areas that need improvement.

How many political parties know their members and have a proper register of members/voters? The NRM compiled a register earlier this year and traditionally has a standing structure that supposedly reaches out to every inch of the country, while some parties are based in Kampala/social media. The NUP has already mobilised members and appointed focal points in some administrative units of the country. Are these internal elections or is the process still ongoing? The FDC has had a tough season with deep internal divisions, including between Najjanankumbi (the legal faction) and Katonga. The Katonga group, led by Dr Kizza Besigye, announced plans to form a new party. Will they go that route as time is running out or will they go back to Najjanankumbi and try to wrest power from the Nandala-Amuriat faction? Either way, isn’t it a tough decision and will it spell disadvantage when the clock strikes 2026?

In 2021, NUP contested elections as a party for the first time and successfully captured Parliament and some local councils, even squeezing out FDC’s dominance in the opposition. Winning an election is one thing, but you can’t rely on luck the second time around. Staying ahead or building on it requires a certain amount of organizational skill and vision. 2026 will therefore be a big test for NUP, not to mention how the Kyagulanyi-Mpuuga divide might play out if it is not resolved maturely. If they remain under one umbrella, with the divided camps competing internally, the post-election divisions will be more acute and will take time to resolve and address grievances. Will the DP, UPC, ANT be better off?

As the Electoral Commission implements its Strategic Plan (2022/23 – 2026/27) to continuously improve electoral administration, it will need to build strong and complementary partnerships with election organisers and the groups that benefit from them. Free, fair and credible elections lead to good governance and security, leading to a more stable and progressive country, which requires the participation and contribution of different stakeholders. Some of the complaints that emerge after every electoral cycle are made by different actors outside the Electoral Commission. If you don’t unite and organise your own party, how can you expect to convince the Ugandan people that you can unite, organise and ensure they move forward?

Preparation and timeliness equal victory!

The writer is Deputy Press Secretary to the President of Uganda.

touch: faruk.kirunda@statehouse.go.ug

0776980486/0783990861

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