The Electoral Commission- EC is seeking a budgetary provision of 54.5 billion shillings to conduct elections for Local Council I and II and Women Councils and Committees across the country.
Justice Simon Byabakama, the EC Chairperson tabled the request yesterday before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee while presenting the electoral body’s budget estimates for the next financial year 2022/2023.
According to Byabakama, the total cost of the elections is 90.67 Billion Shillings but only 36.15 billion has been provided in the Budget Framework Paper, leaving a shortfall of 54.52 billion.
He said that they plan to conduct the Local Council I and II elections before August 2023 and one of the activities to be conducted include the compilation of village voters’ register, ascertaining the number of villages in the country, and others.
Byabakama added that in order for the commission to conduct the polls, there should be planning early noting that the elections must be conducted by July 2023 latest.
However, Ibrahim Semujju Nganda, the Kira Municipality MP, asked the Commission to present the exact dates they plan to hold the elections.
Santa Alum, the Oyam Woman MP, asked the Electoral Commission to clearly state how much money was to be spent on Local Council elections and Women Councils.
Byabakama said that failure to hold the elections would create a vacuum and the current leadership will be in office illegally and also promised to furnish the committee with the actual dates of the scheduled election.
