The Electoral Commission (EC) has taken another major step toward the January 15 general elections after receiving a fresh shipment of ballot papers at Entebbe International Airport on Sunday.
The latest consignment contains ballot papers for District and City Chairpersons as well as District Women Councillors. Its arrival comes with just under two weeks to polling day.
The materials were offloaded from a cargo aircraft under heavy security. EC officials, representatives of political parties, security agencies and the media were present, a move the Commission says is meant to promote openness and reassure the public, especially given past controversies surrounding elections.
According to EC spokesperson Julius Musinguzi, the shipment included a total of 247 pallets — 144 for District and City Chairperson ballots and 103 for District Women Councillor ballots. He said all ballots for District Women Councillors have now arrived, while about 90 percent of those for District and City Chairpersons are already in the country.
Uganda has 146 districts and cities, each with ballot quantities determined by the number of registered voters. Once offloaded, the ballot papers are sorted, packaged and labeled for dispatch to their respective destinations across the country.
“This is part of our legal duty to ensure that all election materials reach polling stations on time,” Musinguzi said, adding that the Commission remains on schedule to meet its deadlines.
The arrival marks the third batch of ballot papers delivered so far. The first consignment, which included presidential ballot papers for more than 21.6 million registered voters, landed on December 24, 2025, and was formally received the next day in the presence of EC Chairperson Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, commissioners, party agents and observers.
A second shipment, containing ballot papers for Directly Elected Members of Parliament, followed shortly after on December 25. By December 29, the Commission had begun packing presidential ballots at its warehouses, again with political stakeholders observing the process.
The EC says it deliberately uses a phased approach to importing ballot papers to reduce logistical risks and strengthen oversight. Musinguzi noted that all remaining externally printed ballot papers are expected to arrive within the week, clearing the way for nationwide distribution ahead of polling day.
