KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s Electoral Commission (EC) has ordered fresh polling in 1,135 villages after violence, destruction of election materials and disputes over voters’ registers disrupted the country’s long-awaited Local Council I (LC1) elections.
The Commission announced the decision on Wednesday 29, July 2026 after confirming that voting was successfully completed in 70,079 of Uganda’s 71,214 villages, representing 98.4 per cent of all polling stations nationwide.
Addressing journalists in Kampala, Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Simon Byabakama Mugenyi described the overall exercise as largely peaceful but acknowledged that serious incidents in some areas prevented voting from being completed.
“Generally, residents turned up in large numbers and the electoral process was peaceful, orderly and transparent,” Byabakama said.
He added, however, that “some of the scenes witnessed during Tuesday’s LC1 elections were ugly.”
According to the Commission, voting failed to conclude in the affected villages because of:
- Violence at polling centres
- Destruction of voters’ registers
- Interference by residents
- Disputes over village registers
- Complaints of missing names on voters’ lists
Byabakama also disclosed that the Commission had received reports that some election officials allowed individuals whose names were missing from the official register to vote after presenting national identity cards.
He stressed that such actions were not authorised by the Electoral Commission (EC).
The Commission unveiled a new timetable to complete the affected elections.
Villages where voters’ registers were destroyed will undergo fresh voter registration beginning Thursday, July 30, before returning to the polls on Saturday, August 1.
Communities whose registers remained intact but where polling was disrupted will also hold repeat elections on August 1.
Special arrangements have also been made for villages affected by the death of nominated candidates.
Where the only nominated candidate died before polling, fresh nominations will take place on Thursday, followed immediately by voting.
In villages where one candidate died but others remain on the ballot, elections will proceed with the remaining candidates.
The Commission also confirmed it has received numerous election petitions arising from Tuesday’s exercise, although it did not disclose the total number filed.
Byabakama further revealed that investigators are examining allegations that some election officials may have colluded with individuals to manipulate election outcomes.
He said the Commission would investigate all reported irregularities as part of efforts to protect the credibility of the electoral process.
Also Read: Over 800 LC I chairpersons unopposed in Greater Masaka, Greater Luwero
Residents were urged to refrain from violence during the remaining electoral activities and allow the Commission to complete the elections peacefully.
Tuesday’s elections marked Uganda’s first nationwide LC1 elections since 2018, drawing large crowds across the country as residents elected village chairpersons—the lowest elected office under Uganda’s local government system.
The polls were conducted using Uganda’s traditional queue-voting system, where voters publicly line up behind the candidate of their choice, as provided for under the Local Governments Act.
Despite disruptions in some communities, the Electoral Commission (EC) said the elections demonstrated strong public participation and reaffirmed its commitment to completing the exercise in every affected village.
