Government reveals pay for officials conducting local council elections
The Deputy Attorney General also informed legislators that recruitment of election officials has already been completed in preparation for the exercise.
The government has disclosed the facilitation package for officials who will conduct the forthcoming Local Council (LC) elections, as concerns emerge in Parliament over the adequacy of the allowances and the conduct of the electoral exercise.
Deputy Attorney General Jackson Karugaba Kafuuzi told Parliament during Thursday’s plenary sitting that the Electoral Commission has allocated allowances for officials at various levels who will oversee voter registration, display and polling activities.
Kafuuzi said sub-county election officials will receive Shs546,433 per month for two months, while parish election officials will be paid Shs288,125 per month for the same period.
Village election officials will receive Shs50,000 for five days of voter registration and Shs30,000 for three days of displaying the voters’ register.
On polling day, presiding officers will earn Shs30,000, while polling assistants and election orderly officers will each receive Shs20,000.
The Deputy Attorney General also informed legislators that recruitment of election officials has already been completed in preparation for the exercise.
According to Kafuuzi, sub-county and parish supervisors were recruited on June 25, 2026, while village election officials were recruited between June 22 and July 1.
He added that the names of recruited village election officials were displayed at parish and ward headquarters on July 2, with their training conducted at parish level on July 3.
Despite the government’s assurance that preparations are progressing, Members of Parliament called for improvements in the working conditions and facilitation of Local Council officials.
Rukiga District Woman Representative Sylvia Tumuheirwe Alinaitwe urged the government to review the allowances and provide office space for LC officials.
“We should look into better pay for these officials and provide office space for them so they don’t operate in bars, under trees, in their homes and by the roadsides,” Alinaitwe said.
Wakiso District Woman Representative Betty Ethel Naluyima questioned why the Electoral Commission did not adopt electronic registration for the Local Council elections.
She also sought clarification on how students in boarding schools would participate in the elections if voter registration and participation depend on physical presence in their respective villages.
The concerns come as the Electoral Commission continues preparations for the nationwide Local Council elections, which are expected to elect leaders at village, parish and sub-county levels across the country.
