Arua, (UG): The Electoral Commission on Friday, December 15 commissioned the construction of its first custom-built regional office in the West Nile Region. The facility will be erected on Plot 2, Municipal By-pass, Arua City.
The ceremony will be graced by government and Electoral Commission officials, Arua City officials and project stakeholders. The Arua Regional Office marks the first of the regional offices the Commission plans to construct across the country in a phased manner over the medium term.
Speaking during the site handover on Friday, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, the Electoral Commission Chairperson said the proposed Arua Regional Office marks the first of the regional offices the Commission plans to construct across the country in a phased manner.
He further commended the local leaders of Arua City and District for allocating the Commission land for the construction of the regional election centre.
Once completed, the regional office which is expected to have office space and warehouses will enable the electoral body to conduct a range of administrative work, data processing, training, and storage of electoral materials before they are transported to the EC headquarters in Kampala.
The center will equally act as a nomination and results tallying center, according to information obtained from the electoral commission.
Nobert Mao, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs said that the construction of regional election offices will go a long way in reducing government expenditure on rental costs.
According to Mao, the Commission has plans to construct at least twelve regional election centers across the country to improve effectiveness and efficiency in the provision of electoral services.
Kalsum Abdu Fadimula, the secretary for social services in Arua City welcomed the development and pledged support towards the monitoring of the construction of the facility.
During the first quota of the current Financial Year 2023/2024, the Government released Shillings 1.86 billion towards the construction of the Regional Election Center according to records from the Electoral Commission.
Currently, Uganda has 146 districts and cities which the Commission has grouped into twelve (12) operational regions.
During this Financial Year 2023/2024, the Government provided Shs1.86 billion towards the construction of the first customized Regional Election Centre in Arua City, for West Nile Region.
The customised regional office will enable the Commission to conduct a range of administrative work, data processing, and training, and will also work as a nomination and results tallying centre.
The construction of regional offices also aims at reducing expenditure on rental costs. It further aims at improving effectiveness and efficiency in the provision of electoral services. The customised storage facilities will particularly ensure cost-effective transportation and storage of election materials.
The construction work will be undertaken by the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) of the UPDF at a cost of Shs4.699bn.
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