Kampala, Uganda: President Yoweri Museveni has declared Thursday January 15 and Friday January 16, 2026 public holidays to allow Ugandans to fully participate in next week’s Presidential and Parliamentary elections, according to a statutory instrument issued under the Public Holidays Act.
In the Legal Notice made pursuant to Section 2(2) of the Public Holidays Act (Cap. 174), the President formally gazetted the two days as nationwide public holidays, citing the need to remove barriers to voter participation.
“In exercise of the powers conferred upon the President by Section 2(2) of the Public Holidays Act, I declare 15th and 16th January, 2026 to be observed as public holidays throughout Uganda for the purpose of enabling citizens to participate in the Presidential and Parliamentary elections,” the notice, made public on State House official account reads.
The declaration means government offices, schools and formal workplaces are expected to close, freeing citizens from work obligations as the country heads to the polls.
The move is expected to boost voter turnout and ease election-day logistics as the Electoral Commission conducts voting for the President and Members of Parliament on January 15.
The additional holiday on January 16 is also expected to facilitate post-poll activities, including tallying, transmission of results and movement of election materials, particularly in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
The declaration comes just days before the start of the 2026 general elections, which will run from January 15 through early February, covering both national and local government electoral processes.
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