EC suspends women council elections over lack of funds

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Electoral Commission has suspended the women councils and committee elections over lack of funds.

In February, the Electoral Commission issued a roadmap detailing the various activities to be conducted under the programme for elections of women councils and committees from the village to the national level.

However, speaking at a consultative meeting at Gogonyo county in Pallisa district, Electoral Commission chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama said that the ministry of Finance informed the commission that there are no funds for conducting the activities. According to the roadmap, the nominations of candidates were scheduled to start this week.

Byabakama, says that the commission will issue a new programme for the activities when the funds are availed. At the time of the cancellation, the Electoral Commission had finalized the compilation of the village women residents’ register and was conducting the display of registers at each village/cell across the country.

On June 10, the Electoral Commission started to compile registers at the village level for women to participate in the women’s council elections. The four-year term of office of the current councils expires in August 2022.