Uganda’s Electoral Commission says about 80 percent of the Shs56 billion released by the government for village, parish and women council elections will be spent on allowances for election officials.
Justice Simon Byabakama, the Electoral Commission chairperson, said the money will mainly support thousands of temporary officials who will manage registration, nominations, voter register display and polling across the country.
The officials will be recruited between June 22 and July 1 to conduct the elections.
“One will wonder how and on what the EC will spend Shs56b, yet the election is by lining up. I want to assure you we are going to spend that money on various activities. We are going to recruit village election officers who are going to conduct the registration of residents for eight days and pay them a minimum of Shs10,000 per day, multiplied by 71,214 villages,” Justice Byabakama said.
EC Breaks Down Election Allowances
Justice Byabakama said voter registration and the compilation of village voters’ registers will run for five days.
He said the Electoral Commission will spend Shs712.1 million per day on village election officials during the exercise. This brings the five-day cost to about Shs3.5 billion.
The Commission will also spend another Shs1.4 billion during the display of voters’ registers across 71,214 villages between July 13 and July 14.
Justice Byabakama said more than 12,000 parish election officials will handle nominations for five-member village women councils and Local Council One aspirants from July 15 to July 19.
Each official will receive Shs20,000 per day. The activity will cost about Shs1.2 billion.
“On polling day, we are going to recruit a presiding officer and two other polling assistants and pay them Shs20,000 per person. So, the bulk of this money is going to pay allowances for those going to work on these elections,” he said.
Women Council and LC1 Polls to Cost Billions
For polling day, the EC plans to deploy three officials in each village. Each official will receive Shs20,000.
This means the Commission will spend Shs60,000 per village across the 71,214 villages.
The women council polls alone will cost about Shs4.2 billion in polling-day allowances. The LC1 elections will require another Shs4.2 billion.
This puts the estimated village-level allowance cost at about Shs15 billion.
The Commission also plans to recruit more than 12,000 parish and sub-county election officials.
These officials will manage parish elections, display voters’ registers, oversee nominations and conduct elections for parish women councils and LC2 chairpersons.
Justice Byabakama said the process includes separate elections for local council and women council structures.
“We all have to remember the process for the women’s polls continues up to the national level, meaning we are having double elections for village to parish levels for LC1, LC2 and women council. The election for the women has its own nomination process and will also take place in the 71,214 villages,” he said.
EC Cites Printing, Fuel and Voter Education Costs
Mr Paul Bukenya, the EC deputy spokesperson, said the Commission will also spend money on administrative activities.
He listed printing of village and parish voters’ registers, nomination forms, return forms, fuel, publicity and voter education among the planned expenses.
The Electoral Commission this week released a month-long roadmap for village-to-parish women council elections.
The roadmap is expected to run between July 6 and August 10.
Key polling dates listed by the Commission include July 3 for village women councils, July 28 for LC1 polls and August 10 for LC2 chairpersons.
Justice Byabakama said the large number of villages, officials and election activities explains why allowances will take the biggest share of the Shs56 billion budget.