EC seeks Shs432 Billion For LC Polls
Uganda’s Electoral commission is seeking for 432 billion shillings to conduct local council elections. Dr Badru Kigundu, the Electoral body’s chairperson attributes the high costs to the new amendments in the local council elections. Â
Kigundu disclosed this while presenting the Electoral Commission’s budgetary submission before the legal and parliament affairs committee.
Gerald Karuhanga, the Western Youth MP tasked Kigundu to explain why they needed such a huge amount of money. In his response, Kigundu said the amendments require Electoral Commission to gazette and display voter’s registers at each polling station across the country.
He however said they had written to the clerk to parliament and the line minister to review the amendments before they are submitted to the president for endorsement.
Local council elections have not taken place since 2011. Failure by parliament to allocate the required funds could see the elections drag on until 2016. Charles Rwakoojo, the secretary general Electoral Commission says they are faced with budgetary constraints adding that their budget has not improved since the creation of new districts, constituencies and parishes.