The Electoral Commission (EC) has officially begun the nationwide elections for Special Interest Groups (SIGs), starting with sub-county level voting for senior citizens aged 60 and above.
EC spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi announced that the elections will take place over the course of a week in all sub-counties, town councils, and divisions across Uganda. This exercise is part of the country’s constitutional commitment to ensuring inclusive political representation for marginalised groups—specifically older persons, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and the youth.
According to the EC schedule, voting for persons with disabilities will be held on July 16, followed by elections for youth representatives on July 18. Only individuals elected at the parish level are eligible to vote in this current sub-county stage.
Mucunguzi explained that the elections will be conducted using the “lining up” method, where voters physically line up behind their preferred candidate, representative, portrait, or symbol.
He urged all participants to remain peaceful and comply with electoral guidelines, stressing that acts of hate speech, incitement, and misinformation will not be tolerated.
The results from these elections will form the basis for the electoral colleges that eventually choose Special Interest Group representatives to serve in Parliament.