- Fewer than half (48%) of Ugandans say they trust the EC “somewhat” or “a lot,” while half (50%) say they trust it “just a little” or “not at all.”
- Almost all Ugandans “agree” (25%) or “strongly agree” (69%) that the tallying, transmission, and declaration of election results should be more transparent.
- A vast majority (86%) of citizens say electoral officials and security agents should be held individually liable for all offences committed on their watch.
- A similar proportion (85%) say candidates who forge their qualifications should be banned from running in elections.
- More than six in 10 respondents favour placing a cap on campaign spending (63%) and requiring candidates to publicly disclose the sources of their campaign funding (64%).
- Seven in 10 citizens (71%) support holding new elections if the winner is disqualified before swearing an oath of office.
- More than half (55%) of Ugandans say all electoral areas should be equal in population size to ensure equal representation, although 41% reject this proposal.
- Citizens are evenly divided on whether losers of party primaries should be allowed to contest elections as independents.
Elections are a cornerstone of democracy, providing citizens with the opportunity to choose their leaders. For two decades after President Yoweri Museveni’s rise to power in 1986, Uganda operated under a “movement system” of governance that banned political parties. Facing domestic and international pressure for genuine democratic competition, citizens voted in a national referendum in 2005 to restore multiparty politics (Meldrum, 2005). Uganda has held regular multiparty elections since 2006, with the next election slated for January 2026.
The Electoral Commission (2025) of Uganda was established under Article 60 of the Constitution with the mandate to “organise, conduct and supervise regular, free and fair elections and referenda, among other functions.” But Uganda’s elections have frequently been challenged on grounds ranging from electoral malpractice to violence and intimidation of voters (Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, 2014). In 2021, the pop star Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine, ran for president. After the Electoral Commission (EC) announced the incumbent Museveni as the winner, Wine challenged the results in court, pointing to evidence of ballot-stuffing, pre-ticked ballots, and intimidation of opposition supporters, but later withdrew his case, claiming that the courts were not independent (Al Jazeera, 2021a, b). Human Rights Watch and other independent observers say the election was marred by extensive violence, human-rights abuses, and an Internet blackout (Al Jazeera, 2021a).
In September 2024, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Norbert Mao tabled electoral reforms in Parliament. Proposals include electronic voting to assist with vote tallying, a ban on fundraising activities during election campaigns to curb financial influence, regulation of campaign activities, stricter measures preventing civil servants from engaging in political activities, and limits on the military’s involvement in elections (Muhairwe, 2024). These proposed reforms have not been passed as the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee is still doing consultations (Kahungu, 2025; Maractho, 2025).
An Afrobarometer survey in January 2025 sheds light on Ugandans’ views on the EC and various aspects of the country’s elections. Findings show that citizens are split on whether the EC is trustworthy, though trust levels vary widely across regions, levels of educational attainment, and party affiliations.
Overwhelming majorities of Ugandans say that the tallying, transmission, and declaration of election results should be made more transparent, that electoral officials and security agents should be held individually liable for offences committed on their watch, and that candidates who falsify their qualifications should be banned from contesting elections.
More than six in 10 support placing a cap on campaign spending and requiring candidates to disclose the sources of their campaign funds.
Half of citizens say losing candidates in party primaries should not be allowed to contest elections as independents, while more than half want a fresh election to take place if a winner is disqualified before taking an oath of office.
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