2026 polls: What EC changes in roadmap mean to parties

“The Commission was unable to undertake preliminary activities of the roadmap [because of] delayed funds,” he said. 

“It is not an entire overhaul of the roadmap, but now that the commission has been allocated funds [this] financial year, we shall embark on these activities,” he added. 

But several political players, especially from the Opposition, said the adjustment disadvantages them. 

“What EC doesn’t realise is that any change in the programme means disorganisation of political parties programmes,” said Ms Alice Alaso, the National Coordinator of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) party. 

“Remember they will have to fix these activities in the remaining period and this will affect other programmes, including verification of the voter’s registrar, which would take a month or maybe three week, thereby leaving many potential voters out,” she warned.

Mr David Lewis Rubongoya, the secretary general of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party, said an election is a process and once many activities are fixed in a short time, the decency of the entire electoral process get compromised. 

“In the last election, we kept asking for the register until the last minute ... There are many things that we should have done earlier to enable political parties to interrogate these processes, critique and have the changes made in time,” he said. 

In its 2025/2026 roadmap unveiled in August last year, the EC planned to conduct 27 activities in three financial years, including five in the 2023/2024, another 10 in the 2024/2025 and the remaining in the 2025/2026.

Justice Byabakama did not clarify which of the many activities had been skipped but promised to unveil them later after the necessary adjustments have been made. 

Ms Sarah Birete, the executive director, Center for Constitutional Governance, said the adjustments in the roadmap would affect the political parties badly, citing the voter’s register update, which is likely to be affected due to the limited timeframe. 

Ms Charity Ahimbisibwe, the executive director of the Electoral Law and Governance Institute, said the EC’s planned adjustment of the roadmap only exposes their weaknesses. 

“The purpose of the EC is to conduct elections. Once one electoral cycle is over, the next one starts. Why would they miss activities?”  she asked. 

Mr Erias Lukwago, the president of the Katonga faction of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, said the adjustment will not mean much,  ‘‘unless the EC deals with the democracy deficit’’. 

But Mr Emmanuel Dombo, the spokesperson of ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, said they are fine with the adjustments as long as they are still within the timeframe. 

“As long as the EC doesn’t skip their vital responsibility, let’s wait and see the revised road map and then we shall be able to give an informed view,” he said.

EC tentative 2025/2026 roadmap 2024/2025

July 4-13, 2024, Field demarcation of constituencies and electoral
areas and re-organisation of polling stations

January 3-24, 2025, General update of the register in each parish 

April 18- May 8, 2025, Display of the National Voters’ Register at
polling stations
 
2025/2026 June 13, deadline for resignation by public servants to contest 
for MP   

August 2, deadline for resignation by public servants to contest for

Local Governments
October 1, deadline for resignation by public servants intending to
contest for president

July 14-15, 2025, Nomination of sub-county, town and municipal 
division SIG committees candidates (OP, PWD, youth)        

July 11, 2025, holding of sub-county conferences to elect non- unionised workers delegates to the district      

July 24-25, 2025, Nomination of municipality/city division SIG committees candidates (OP, PWD, youth)      

August 11-12, 2025, Nomination of district and city SIG
committees candidates (OP, PWD, Youth)     

August 7, 2025, holding of district conferences to elect non-
unionised workers 

Delegates to the regions
August 27-29, 2025, Nomination, campaigns and polling for
national youth council committee

September 3-12, 2025, nomination of candidates (local 
governments, including SIGs)

September 16-17, 2025, Nomination of candidates (parliamentary)

October 2-3, 2025, Nomination of candidates for presidential elections     

December 8-12, 2025, Nomination of candidates for SIGs representatives to LGs

January 12-February 9, 2026, Polling period for presidential, parliamentary and local governments councils, including SIGs representatives

SOURCE: Electoral Commission roadmap (2025/2026)