KABOHA
Polling officials and their assistants who worked in the 2026 electoral exercises in Fort Portal Tourism City have threatened to take the Electoral Commission of Uganda to court over delayed payments, more than a month after the polls ended.
The commission recruited over 10,000 temporary staff nationwide to support polling activities. Officials were promised Shs100,000 for Election Day duties, while assistants were to receive Shs75,000.
According to the commission’s spokesperson, Julius Muchunguzi, the delay has been attributed to mismatches between names on mobile money accounts and those registered for payment.
However, workers such as Katty Kabasinguzi, who served as an assistant polling official, say they are yet to receive any allowances. She expressed frustration, noting that mobile money details provided during registration matched their names and therefore no justification should delay payments.
“We are considering legal action if the delay continues,” Kabasinguzi said, arguing that prolonged inaction has left many workers financially strained.
In response, returning officer Isaac Byamugisha confirmed the concerns but stated that officials had been provided with refreshments during voting days. He added that payments for presidential and parliamentary election duties in Fort Portal had already been processed, and only allowances for local government election phases remained pending.
Byamugisha urged patience, saying the commission is conducting verification exercises to resolve discrepancies and expedite payments.