Simon Byabakama, flaged off the first truck that will deliver elections material for the 2026 elections today, January 8th 2026 at Ntinda, Kampala
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Electoral Commission (EC) has officially flagged off the first consignment of polling materials to districts ahead of the January 15 general elections.
Simon Byabakama, the Electoral Commission chairperson said that this marks a major milestone in preparations for the polls in which Ugandans will elect the President and Members of Parliament.
“The dispatch of polling kits demonstrate that the Commission is firmly on course to deliver a credible election,” he said today at the EC stores in Ntinda, Kampala.
He added that the exercise, conducted in line with Article 61(2) of the Constitution, has been preceded by the process of packing and dispatching what is ready is meant to ensure that there is timely delivery of the polling kits in the districts.
He noted that by the time we come to January 15th, every district will have the required number of kits ready for dispatch to the respective polling stations in those electoral districts.
On the issue of ongoing election petitions and disputes, Byabakama said the Commission had put in place clear mechanisms to ensure that all decisions were implemented right down to the polling station level.
“We have taken measures and mechanisms to ensure that whatever decision we make on any petition or electoral dispute is realized or implemented right to the the polling station,” he noted.
He explained that the Commission would ensure that only duly cleared candidates appeared on the ballot, and where legal decisions were made after ballot papers had already been printed, voters would be properly informed.
“Whoever is supposed to be on the ballot paper will be there. Whoever is not supposed to be on the ballot paper—even though that person may appear because printing had taken place before a decision was made—measures will be put in place to notify voters that that person is no longer a candidate.”
Byabakama also took time to address concerns raised by some stakeholders about the announcement and transmission of election results.
He said: “The law is very clear that the results of a polling station, before they are relayed to the district tally centre or the national tally centre, shall first be known at that polling station.”
He stressed that transparency begins at the polling station. “The results from every polling station are supposed to be announced or declared by the presiding officer at that polling station,” Byabakama said.
The first batch of materials is destined for 12 districts, including Hoima City, Yumbe, Masaka City and Wakiso, among others, with dispatch continuing until all 146 districts receive their kits ahead of polling day.
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