The Electoral Commission (EC), led by Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, has received the first batch of 60,000 Biometric Voter Verification Kits (BVVKs) ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The consignment arrived at Entebbe International Airport at 11:45 p.m. on Monday night, aboard a privately chartered cargo plane. It was received by Justice Byabakama, together with senior Commission officials.
Justice Byabakama described the delivery as a major milestone in the ongoing preparations for the presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections scheduled for January 15, 2026. He explained that the biometric devices will be deployed at polling stations across the country to verify and identify eligible voters before they receive ballot papers.
“This is the first consignment out of a total of 109,142 kits ordered,” Justice Byabakama said, adding that the remaining units are expected by the end of November.
He commended the contractor, Simi Valley Company, for delivering on schedule, noting that timely delivery keeps the Commission on track with its election roadmap.
Byabakama revealed that the new generation of biometric kits comes with improved features compared to those used in the 2016 and 2021 polls. Each polling station will have at least two kits to ensure smooth voter verification. The upgraded systems, equipped with power banks for data backup, can also detect invalid or suspicious ballots, helping to ensure that only legitimate votes are counted.
He noted that the Commission has addressed previous challenges associated with the devices, particularly in areas with limited electricity and poor network coverage.
“The new devices are designed to function efficiently even under difficult conditions,” he said, adding that the EC will conduct extensive training and voter education to ensure both polling officials and the public understand how the kits work.
Addressing concerns from the media, Justice Byabakama clarified that printing of ballot papers is a separate process handled by different contractors to enhance transparency and security. He explained that ballot papers have not yet been printed since the nomination exercise has just concluded, and the Commission is still verifying nomination returns before proceeding to the printing stage.
Justice Byabakama expressed confidence that with the arrival of the first batch and the expected delivery of the remainder, the Commission is well-prepared to conduct free, fair, and credible elections in 2026. He also credited the Government of Uganda for its financial and logistical support in procuring the biometric systems, noting that such preparations are crucial for maintaining peace and stability during and after the elections.
He declined to reveal the country of manufacture, saying only that the kits were produced “from within the world.”
Shortly after offloading, the kits were loaded onto EC trucks that had been stationed at the airport since 11 p.m., escorted by Counter-Terrorism Police officers to an undisclosed storage facility.
In the 2021 general elections, the country experienced delays in delivering election materials, limited voter education on the use of biometric kits, and complaints about slow machines. This time, the EC says it has learned from those challenges and is determined to ensure greater efficiency, transparency, and credibility in the 2026 polls.
