Uganda will hold elections for Village Women Committees on Thursday (July 23, 2026) in more than 71,000 villages, with the Electoral Commission saying preparations have been completed for a vote that forms part of a broader rollout of grassroots local government elections.
Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama said the body had finalized voter registration, verification of electoral rolls, candidate nominations and campaigns ahead of polling across the country’s 71,214 villages.
The elections are part of Uganda’s local government electoral programme, which includes polls for Village (LC I) chairpersons, Parish (LC II) representatives and Women’s Councils and Committees, following an electoral roadmap announced in June.
Each Village Women Committee will elect five officials, including a chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, publicity secretary and secretary for finance. Only women whose names appear on the official village women’s register will be eligible to vote.
Voting will be conducted using Uganda’s “lining-up” system, under which voters queue behind their preferred candidate rather than cast a secret ballot.
The method, permitted under Uganda’s Local Government Act for village-level elections, has previously drawn criticism from some civil society groups over concerns about voter secrecy, while authorities say it is transparent and cost-effective.
Voter verification is scheduled to begin at 0700 local time (0400 GMT), followed by polling from 1100 local time in all villages simultaneously, the commission said.
Byabakama urged candidates and voters to comply with electoral rules and maintain peaceful conduct during the exercise.
He said the commission had received complaints related to voter registration and candidate nominations and was reviewing them in line with electoral procedures.
The commission also called on participants to observe public health measures issued by the Ministry of Health following recent Ebola-related advisories.
Campaigning for Village (LC I) chairperson elections is continuing ahead of polling on July 28, the next major stage in Uganda’s grassroots electoral calendar.
