Political parties in Uganda are getting ready for the upcoming local council (LC) elections, which will fill numerous positions for village and parish leaders across the country. The necessary funds for these elections were recently released.
Representatives from major political parties, including the National Resistance Movement (NRM), National Unity Platform (NUP), Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), have reported that they are already in the process of preparing for these elections.
Mr. Emmanuel Dombo, the director of information and publicity at NRM, mentioned that their internal party election roadmap is ready and awaiting approval by the party chairperson and the Central Executive Committee. He stated that once approved, they will mobilize and work on their party register. After that, they will display and update the register, followed by the election of party flag bearers. In the 2018 election, NRM won more than 80 percent of all village and parish level positions, and they aim to improve on that performance.
NUP officials have also held a meeting to strategize for the upcoming elections. Mr. Lewis Rubongoya, the party secretary-general, emphasized their commitment to participating in these elections and called for free and fair processes. He encouraged Ugandan citizens to take part in these elections and expressed the party’s intentions to field candidates at every level.
Alice Alaso, the ANT national coordinator, mentioned that they will align their internal party processes with their grassroots structure building campaign. They will encourage their members to participate and will identify LC I candidates through their village structures. She also noted concerns about the mode of lining up, which could impact the fairness of the elections, especially in areas with strong NRM influence.
UPC’s secretary-general, Mr. Fred Ebil, expressed their hope to conclude internal party processes, such as registrations and primaries, by the end of the month. They have initiated their program and instructed district leaders to provide guidelines to sub-counties, parishes, and villages. Additionally, they called upon the Electoral Commission to sensitize voters.
Both factions of FDC, Najanankumbi, and Katonga, intend to field candidates. Najanankumbi’s electoral commission secretary, Mr. Augustine Ojobile, revealed that they would start identifying candidates after October 25. The Katonga faction emphasized their strong grassroots support base and expressed their intentions to sponsor candidates, with several individuals already expressing interest.