EC sets Tuesday for fresh elections in three constituencies

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Electoral Commission (EC) has set Tuesday, January 27, 2026, as the polling date for the election of Directly Elected Members of Parliament in constituencies where voting was earlier suspended due to electoral irregularities. The affected areas include Kibanda North Constituency in Kiryandongo District, Ibanda Municipality in Ibanda District, and 18 polling stations in Ajuri County Constituency, Alebtong District, located in Awori, Acede, Ojul, and Owalo parishes.

According to a press statement issued on Saturday by the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, polling will take place at all polling stations in Kibanda North and Ibanda Municipality. In Ajuri County, voting will be conducted only in the 18 affected polling stations. Polling will begin at 7:00 am and close at 4:00 pm, after which votes will be counted and results declared at the respective polling stations.

Speaking earlier, Byabakama said the Commission could not allow voting to proceed where discrepancies existed on ballot papers, noting that such errors would undermine the integrity of the electoral process. He added that fresh ballot papers were prepared in accordance with the law before setting a new polling date. He further clarified that the suspension affected only the directly elected parliamentary races in the affected constituencies and did not impact other elective positions where ballots were found to be in order.

The Electoral Commission Spokesperson, Julius Mucunguzi, said the Commission is fully prepared to conduct the elections and urged voters in the affected areas to turn up and exercise their constitutional right to vote. Mucunguzi also called on candidates, their supporters, and polling agents to maintain peace before, during, and after polling day. He said political parties and independent candidates will be allowed to deploy agents per polling station in line with electoral guidelines.

He added that polling stations will be opened in the presence of at least ten voters, who will act as witnesses during the opening of ballot boxes, as provided for under the law. Voting in Kibanda North Constituency and Ibanda Municipality was suspended on January 15, 2026, after the Commission discovered errors and mismatches in candidates’ particulars on ballot papers.

In Ibanda Municipality, the suspension followed discrepancies in the particulars of candidates printed on the ballot papers, prompting the Commission to halt the parliamentary race until fresh ballots were prepared. In Kibanda North, voting was halted after it was discovered that the name and photograph of Benjamin Lumansi, a candidate from the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) party, were missing from the ballot paper.

The Kiryandongo District Returning Officer, Rashid Musinguzi, said the omission was detected during verification of ballot papers on polling day and was immediately reported to the Commission headquarters, which advised suspension of the election. Lumansi later told Uganda Radio Network that he was shocked by the omission, saying he had been duly nominated and had met all the requirements set by the Electoral Commission.In Ajuri County Constituency, Alebtong District, the Commission ordered a fresh poll in 18 polling stations following a complaint by Fred Jalameso, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) candidate, over discrepancies between announced results and figures recorded on official Declaration Forms. A recount conducted by the Regional Elections Officer, Jackson Igenyi Babirye, revealed irregularities in several polling stations, prompting the Commission to nullify results from the affected stations and order a fresh vote.

Before the dispute arose, Jalameso was leading the race with 14,321 votes (44.5 percent), followed by the incumbent Government Chief Whip, Denis Hamson Obua of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), who had 12,963 votes (40.25 percent), based on results from 160 of the 178 polling stations. The Electoral Commission says all logistical arrangements are in place to ensure a smooth and credible election on January 27.

This comes as the rest of the more than 500 constituency, district, and special interest group elections—along with local government and presidential polls—have largely concluded, with a few remaining positions, including division mayors, the National Youth MP, UPDF representatives, and other special interest groups, scheduled to be conducted between January 28 and February 6, 2026.

***

URN