With the Executive Committee of the National Women’s Council’s term ending in August, in preparation to conduct the Women Councils and Committees Elections and other electoral-related activities, Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama has revealed the key activities that will be undertaken to help in the forthcoming electoral process.
As part of the electoral process, the Commission is slated to carry out a number of activities which includes compiling a register of willing female residents in each village throughout Uganda from Friday 10th June to Monday 13th June 2022.
The purpose of this registration exercise is to enable all willing female residents, aged 18 years and above, to register in order to participate in the above elections within their villages.
The registration will be conducted from 7.00 am until 6.00 pm on each of the appointed dates, including weekends. The registration exercise shall be free of charge.
The display of the Register will be from 23rd-24th June 2022 in all villages across the country.
The Village Women’s Committee shall consist of the following five positions,
Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Publicity Secretary, and Secretary for Finance.
The nomination of candidates for Village Women Executive Committees will be conducted from 27th June-1st July 2022 for respective Sub County/ City Division Headquarters.
The candidates’ campaigns for the election of the Village Women Committee will be conducted from July 4th to July 6th, 2022.
The Commission has appointed Thursday, July 7th, 2022 as polling day for the election of the 5 members of the Village Women Committee, which will be done by the electorate lining up behind the nominated candidates, their representatives, portraits, or symbols.
Voting shall take place in a public/open place within the village, starting at 9.00 a.m.
All persons participating in the elections shall be required to comply with the guidelines issued by the Electoral Commission in accordance with the Government of Uganda and the Ministry of Health’s measures against the spread of COVID-19.
In preparation for the conduct of Women Councils and Committees Elections 2022 and Administrative Units/LC 1 and LC 2 Elections 2023, the Electoral Commission conducted a countrywide exercise from March 16 to March 27,2022 to compare, verify, harmonise and confirm all administrative units/ villages/cells, parishes/wards and sub-counties.
EC in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government, has finalized the processing of returns conducted during the exercise. The purpose of the exercise was to update the list of Villages, Parishes, and Sub-counties in the country upon which the Women Councils and Committees Elections of 2022 and the Administrative Units /LC 1 and LC 2 Elections of 2023, will be based, in accordance with Sections 7 and 25 of the Local Government Act, Cap 243.
Accordingly, the number of Administrative Units in Uganda for purposes of conducting the Women Councils and Comities Elections, 2022 will be comprising of 146 Districts/Cities, 2,191 Sub-counties/Town Councils/ Municipal Divisions, 10,692 Parishes/Wards and 71,255 Village/Cells.
The Commission will issue the list to political parties and organizations to enable them prepare for presenting of candidates during the conduct of Women Councils and Committees Elections to be held this year 2022 and Administrative Units/LC 1 and LC 2 Elections which will be held in 2023.
The Commission will also publish the harmonised and updated list of Administrative Units onto the website for public access.
The current Women Councils and Committees were elected during the period June-August 2018, and the Executive C committee of the National Women’s Council was constituted on 23rd-24 August 2018.
According to the National Women’s Council Act, the terms of office of the said Councils and Committees is four years, implying their term will elapse in August 2022.
Accordingly, the Electoral Commission did earlier issue the programme for the elections of Women Councils and Committee Elections from Village to National level as follows:
Village/Cell Level
- Compilation of Village Women’s Register 10th – 13th June 2022
- Display of the Women’s Register at the Village level 23rd – 24th June 2022
- Nomination of candidates at the Sub County Headquarters 27th June-1 st July 2022
- Candidates’ Campaigns for election of the Village Women Committee 4 th – 6 th July 2022
- Polling Day for election of five (5) members of Village Women Committee (lining, counting, filling forms and declaration) 7th July 2022
Parish/Ward Level
- Compilation of the Parish/Ward Women Council Registers 8 th – 9 th July 2022
- Display of Parish/Ward Women Council Registers 11th – 12th July 2022
- Nomination of Candidates for Parish/Ward Women Committees 13th – 14th July 2022
- Candidates’ Campaigns for Parish/Ward Women Committees 18th – 20th July 2022
- Polling Day for election of Parish/Ward Women Committees 22nd July 2022
City Division/Sub-County/Town Council/Municipal Division Level
- Compilation of City/Sub-County/Town/Municipal Div. Women’s Registers 23rd July 2022
- Display of City Div./Sub County/Town/Municipal Div. Women’s Registers 25th – 26th July 2022
- Nomination of candidates (City Division/Sub-County/Town /Municipal Div. Committee) 27th – 28th July 2022
- Candidates’ campaigns (City Division/Sub-County/Town /Municipal Div. Committee) 29th July-1 st Aug 2022
- Polling Day: election of City Div./Sub-County/Town/Municipal Div. Women Committee 2 nd August 2022
District/City Level
- Compilation of District/City Women Registers 3 rd August 2022
- Display of District/City Women Registers 4 th-5 th August 2022
- Nomination of Candidates for District/City Women Committees 5 th August 2022
- Candidates’ Campaigns for District/City Women Committees 8 th-11th August 2022
- Polling Day for Election of District/City Women Committees 12th August 2022
National Conference for Election of the National Women Committee
- National Conference for National Women Committee Elections (Display of register, nomination of candidates, campaigns, voting, counting & declaration of results) 22nd-23rd August 2022