By URN
The Electoral Commission has been challenged to consider conducting a public evaluation of the 2026 general elections, as a way of identifying weaknesses and developing better strategies for future polls.
On January 15, the Electoral Commission conducted presidential and parliamentary elections, followed by local government council polls a week later. However, some voters who participated in the exercises are raising concerns over what they describe as glaring contradictions that undermined the integrity of the process and its outcomes.
Agnes Nattabi, a National Unity Platform (NUP) party mobiliser in Sembabule District, says that instead of relying solely on courts of law to handle election disputes, the Electoral Commission should also organise a public hearing to review the conduct of the elections.
Referring to experiences in Sembabule District, where elections were reportedly marred by voter intimidation, ballot stuffing, and falsification of declaration forms, Nattabi argues that it is time for the Commission to undertake a comprehensive internal evaluation aimed at improving its administrative processes.
She notes that in many cases, the perpetrators of electoral malpractice were so ruthless that witnesses were unable to gather photographic or video evidence that would ordinarily be required in court.
As a result, victims and witnesses are left without viable legal options. According to Nattabi, a public evaluation would provide a safe platform for affected voters to disclose their experiences directly to the Electoral Commission, helping to inform policy reforms ahead of future elections.
She further condemns the alleged involvement of the military in harassing opposition supporters, intimidating polling agents, and facilitating ballot stuffing, warning that if such practices are not addressed through policy review and reform, elections risk losing their meaning.
Nattabi says the alleged malpractices have greatly affected the morale of opposition supporters and party mobilisers, making it difficult to encourage participation in the upcoming sub-county elections scheduled for February 4.
//Cue in; “kano akalulu kantabuseeko…
Cue out; tetukategedde oba kaveewo.”//
John Lugemwa, a voter from Kitanda Sub-county in Bukomansimbi District, also calls on the Electoral Commission to go beyond responding to election petitions in courts of law. He argues that the evidence presented before courts represents only a small fraction of the broader challenges affecting electoral integrity.
Lugemwa warns that continued frustration among voters could further contribute to poor voter turnout in local government elections and, in extreme cases, may push desperate citizens to resort to violence against perpetrators of electoral malpractice.
Alexander Lule Nkima, the President of the Masaka Lawyers Guild, agrees that the Electoral Commission needs to be more proactive. He stresses the importance of introspection on the conduct of the elections, alongside championing legal reforms that make electoral malpractice a high-risk undertaking for offenders.
Nkima adds that the numerous election petitions currently before the courts challenging election outcomes are a strong indictment of the Electoral Commission and signal the urgent need for institutional and legal improvements.
