EC Seeks Shs 90bn For LC Polls

The Electoral Commission is seeking 90.6 billion shillings in the next financial year to conduct LC one, LC two and women council elections in July 2023.

However the Commission is grappling with with a budget shortfall of 54.5bn to carry out LC one elections after being allocated only 36.15bn shillings for the activity .

This has been revealed by the chairperson of the electoral commission Simon Byabakama while leading a team from the commission to present the entity budget of 121.4 billion shillings for the next financial year.

He noted that they  need 90.6 billion shillings to carry out the elections but the ministry of finance has only provided them with 36.15 billion shillings.

Mr. Byabakama says the current term of local council chairpersons will end in August 2023 and in order not to create a vacuum elections will have to be held Latest July 2023. However they need money in the next financial year to work on village voters register and ascertain the number of villages in the country.

Byabakama also says that the elections will be held using the lining up mode that was used last time unless parliament amends the law.

However members of Parliament have raised questions pertaining the cost of elections and the mode of voting by lining up saying it’s not fashionable to deliver free and fair elections to the required. They pointed at chaos and violence that marred the controversial polls.

The Electoral commission has received 45bn to transfer to political parties in the next financial year. Mr. Byabakama says they are still working on modalities of distributing this money amongst the beneficiaries.

The Electoral  commission has also cried out to the committee of legal affairs to approve allocation of 60bn needed to procure new electoral commission premises to pave way for the construction of Kampala fry over project. The commission says their grace period to leave has elapsed.