President Yoweri Museveni has urged Ugandans to participate actively in the forthcoming village, parish and women council elections, saying grassroots leaders play an important role in promoting development, accountability and household wealth creation.
Museveni’s message was delivered by Enoch Barata, the Director of Legal Services and Affairs at the National Resistance Movement Secretariat, during a meeting of NRM leaders from the Bunyoro sub-region.
The meeting brought together resident district commissioners, NRM district chairpersons, party registrars and administrators, women league leaders and security officials as the ruling party prepared for the elections.
Museveni said communities should use the elections to choose leaders capable of mobilising residents to participate in government development and wealth-creation programmes.
“I call all Ugandans to turn up in big numbers and vote for LC1, LC2 and women council,” Museveni said.
Speaking in his capacity as NRM national chairperson, the President also appealed to voters to support the party’s officially endorsed candidates.
Grassroots leaders central to development
Museveni said village and parish leaders should not be viewed only as political representatives because they also help communities address poverty and improve household incomes.
He said local leaders are expected to mobilise residents to participate in initiatives such as the Parish Development Model and other government programmes intended to move households from subsistence production into the money economy.
The President also linked grassroots leadership to monitoring public services and projects implemented under the NRM Manifesto and Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan.
He said village and parish leaders should help residents demand accountability from public officials and report suspected corruption or misuse of government resources to the relevant authorities.
Electoral Commission confirms polling dates
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the election of five members of each Village Women’s Committee for Thursday, 23 July 2026.
Campaigns for the Village Women’s Committee elections are taking place from 20 to 22 July, with voting to be conducted through voters lining up behind their preferred candidates, representatives, portraits or symbols.
Polling for Village Council chairpersons, commonly known as LC1 chairpersons, will take place on Tuesday, 28 July 2026. Campaigns for the LC1 elections are scheduled to run from 20 to 27 July.
Members of village executive committees will subsequently form the electoral colleges responsible for electing Parish or Ward Council chairpersons.
Parish and ward chairperson candidates will be nominated on 3 August, followed by campaigns from 4 to 9 August. Polling for LC2 chairpersons is scheduled for Monday, 10 August 2026.
The women council electoral process will continue from the village level to parish, sub-county, district and national levels between July and September 2026.
NRM leaders urged to protect party unity
Jonard Asiimwe, the NRM national vice-chairperson for Western Uganda, urged party leaders to unite behind officially endorsed flag bearers.
He condemned reported attacks against some NRM candidates, saying violence and internal divisions could weaken the party’s support at the grassroots.
Asiimwe said village and parish leaders would be important in mobilising communities to participate in government programmes, including the Parish Development Model.
Kagadi Resident District Commissioner Caroline Nashemeza said internal disagreements were among the challenges facing the party ahead of the elections.
She alleged that some senior party members were supporting independent candidates or candidates belonging to rival political parties instead of the NRM’s official flag bearers.
Bunyoro NRM Secretariat coordinator Violet Kabasindi also said the party had received reports alleging that some land speculators were financing preferred candidates in village elections.
The allegation had not been independently verified by the time of publication. Kabasindi urged voters to scrutinise candidates carefully and elect leaders who would protect community interests.
Call for greater participation by women
NRM leaders also encouraged more women to participate in the electoral process to strengthen female representation in village and parish leadership structures.
The Electoral Commission has called on political parties, candidates, voters and other stakeholders to follow the official election programme and applicable guidelines throughout the process.
The Commission has said the elections will be conducted progressively, beginning at the village level and continuing to parish level for administrative units and to the national level for women councils and committees.
