Registers destroyed, violence and voter disputes derail voting as Commission sets August 1 date for repeat elections
The village elections that were expected to usher in new LC1 leaders across Uganda suffered disruptions in hundreds of areas, forcing the Electoral Commission to announce fresh polling dates for more than 1,000 villages.
Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi has revealed that elections failed to take place or were interrupted in 1,135 villages after chaos, violence, destruction of voting materials and disputes over voter registers.
The affected villages represent 1.6 percent of the country’s 71,214 villages that were scheduled to hold elections for LC1 Council Chairpersons on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
Despite the challenges, the Commission described the exercise as largely successful, saying voting was completed in 70,079 villages representing a 98.4 percent success rate.
Justice Byabakama said millions of registered village residents turned up to participate in the election of their local leaders in what he described as a generally peaceful and orderly process.
But behind the success story were pockets of trouble that disrupted voting in some communities.
According to the Commission, some villages witnessed violence and confusion, while others lost polling materials after registers were destroyed, vandalised or stolen.
Some areas were also affected by disagreements after individuals whose names were missing from the official Village Residents’ Register attempted to vote using National Identity Cards.
The Electoral Commission maintained that having a National Identity Card alone was not enough to qualify someone to vote in the LC1 elections.
Only residents whose names appeared on the Village Residents’ Register were eligible to participate.
The Commission said some of those turned away caused disruptions, forcing election officials to suspend polling in certain villages.
To resolve the crisis, the Electoral Commission has announced a fresh election timetable.
Villages where voters’ registers were destroyed will begin fresh registration today, Thursday, July 30, followed by display of registers on Friday, July 31.
Residents in those areas will return to the polls on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Villages that experienced violence and disruptions but still have intact registers will also vote on August 1.
For areas where candidates died after being nominated, the Commission has ordered fresh nominations for the vacant positions today, campaigns tomorrow, and voting on Saturday.
However, candidates who were already nominated and are still alive will not repeat the nomination process.
Justice Byabakama warned individuals intending to disrupt the repeat elections, saying security agencies would deal firmly with anyone who attempts to create chaos.
The Commission also appealed to political actors, candidates and residents in affected villages to maintain peace and follow electoral guidelines.
The LC1 elections are a key stage in Uganda’s local government electoral roadmap, with the newly elected village committees expected to participate in the election of Parish/Ward (LCII) Council Chairpersons.
The Electoral Commission said it remains committed to completing all remaining elections and ensuring that every village forms its leadership structures in accordance with the law.
