The Electoral Commission has accredited 1,655 local and international observers to monitor Uganda’s 2026 general elections.
According to the Commission, the observers will follow all key stages of the elections, including preparations, voting, vote counting and post-election activities for the presidential, parliamentary and local government polls scheduled for early next year.
Several Western countries and global partners will deploy observer teams. The European Union will send 70 observers, followed by the United States with 44 and the United Kingdom with 39. Other international delegations will come from China and South Korea (five each), Russia’s parliament (four), and Russia’s Central Election Commission (two). Additional observers will represent Venezuela, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Libya and Colombia.
Regional and continental organisations will also be heavily represented. These include the African Union, East African Community, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, IGAD, COMESA and the East African Standby Force, all of which have been cleared to deploy teams across different parts of the country.
Domestic institutions and civil society groups make up the largest share of accredited observers. Among them are the Uganda Human Rights Commission, the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, the Parliamentary Candidates’ Monitoring Team, FRONASA, the National Civic Forum and the Global Election Observation Mission.
Women-led and peace-focused organisations will also play a visible role, with more than 280 observers drawn from Women’s International Peace Centres, alongside teams from the Africa Electoral Alliance. Kenya’s electoral body, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), will send six officials to observe the process.
The Electoral Commission emphasised that all accredited observers must follow Uganda’s electoral laws and adhere to a strict code of conduct.
