KAMPALA – The Electoral Commission has commended the majority of Ugandans for participating peacefully in the special interest group elections for village committees for older persons, persons with disabilities, and youth. According to Julius Mucunguzi, spokesperson of the Electoral Commission, the elections were successful in over 99% of the country’s 71,227 villages.
“The commission takes pleasure in knowing and getting the report that has shown that in the majority of the villages across the country, the elections went out peacefully. They went on according to the law, and they followed the guidelines laid out by the Electoral Commission,” Mucunguzi said.
However, the commission received reports of violence and complaints in some urban areas, notably around Kampala, which led to the postponement of elections in a few cases. Despite this, the commission noted that these incidents were isolated and did not affect the overall outcome of the elections.
“We wish to say and inform the country that this was a very minor percentage and component of the total villages across the country where the committees were formed in a manner that was consistent with the law with no incident at all,” Mucunguzi added.
The commission praised those who conducted themselves peacefully and in accordance with the law, saying “Kudos, and thanks them and calls upon them to continue with this spirit because this is consistent with the message that the commission has been giving from the beginning of the implementation of the roadmap for the 2025, 2026 general elections.”
Mucunguzi emphasized that free, fair, transparent, and credible elections are a responsibility of all stakeholders, including the electoral commission, candidates, political party leaders, voters, the media, civil society groups, and security agencies.
“The commitment of the commission is to ensure that no area, no electoral process is a subject of violence and the commission has been very consistent and remains consistent in calling upon all stakeholders in our electoral processes to ensure that all stakeholders play their rightful roles to ensure that we have free, fair, transparent, and credible elections,” he said.
The commission urged all stakeholders to follow the law and ensure peace prevails in future elections, including the upcoming parish, sub-county, district, city division, and national-level elections.
“Let peace prevail, let us all follow the law because in this country no one is above the law. Officials of the commission have to follow the law. Voters must follow the law. Candidates must follow the law. Security must follow the law. Civil society must follow the law. The media must follow the law. All of us must follow the laws that govern elections in this country,” Mucunguzi said.
