The government has for the third time postponed the Local Council and women’s council elections for another period of six months.
In a July, 2 notice in the Uganda gazette signed by the Local Government minister, the government said LC1 and LC2 will serve for another 180 days.
The extension starts today, July, 4.
“Notice is hereby given to the general public that the term of office of administrative unit councils (LC1 and LC2) expiring on July 3, 2024, is extended for a period not exceeding 180 days from July 4, 2024,” the notice reads in part.
Uganda last held LC1 and LC2 elections in 2018 and the next polls were supposed to be held in January 2023 but the government extended their term of office for six months.
In July 2023, the government tabled a statutory instrument before parliament to extend the term of office for LC1 and LC2 chairperson for another six months.
In January, the Local Government minister, Raphael Magyezi said the extension was justified on the basis of inadequate funding and other logistics for the elections.
“It is extremely difficult to conduct elections of the administrative units without adequate resources at the moment,” Magyezi said then.
He noted that the extension was also meant to allow the government to harmonise administrative units.
“The ministry is in the process of updating the list of all administrative units in the county, in liaison with the relevant government agencies and local authorities. Without clarity of numbers, names, and boundaries of the administrative units, it is not possible to conduct the elections.”
