EOC calls on EC to end prisoner, diaspora voter exclusion

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The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has challenged the Electoral Commission (EC) to address the persistent exclusion of prisoners, migrant workers, and hospitalised citizens from Uganda’s electoral process. It also raised concerns over the growing commercialisation of politics, which continues to lock out many ordinary citizens.

During a high-level engagement held on Wednesday, May 21, at Kingdom Kampala, the EOC presented a comprehensive set of proposals to the EC, calling for urgent reforms to make Uganda’s electoral landscape more inclusive, transparent and accessible—particularly for marginalised groups.

EOC chairperson, Safia Nalule Juuko, emphasised that while the Constitution guarantees the right to vote to all citizens, including those in detention, the EC continues to fall short in implementing inclusive mechanisms.

“Persons in prisons, especially those on remand and yet to be convicted, as well as Ugandans in hospitals and the diaspora, are being unfairly excluded from participating in elections,” Nalule said. This, she added, undermines democracy and the principle of equal suffrage.

She argued that with technological advances and coordination with relevant agencies, the EC can design special voting mechanisms for such groups, as seen in other democracies.

However, EC chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama responded by citing legal and logistical barriers. “The EC is not permitted to establish polling stations in prisons or any other security facilities. And while we appreciate the principle, the security risks and legal constraints are real,” he explained. Byabakama also raised concerns about the potential for escape attempts by inmates if allowed to vote outside prison premises.

In addition to the issue of prisoner exclusion, the EOC warned of the rising commercialisation of politics, especially in special interest group elections, where financial influence is reportedly overshadowing merit and integrity.

“Politics in Uganda is increasingly becoming a game for the rich. Ordinary citizens, especially youth and PWDs, find it difficult to contest or meaningfully participate in electoral processes due to the high cost of campaigns and vote-buying practices,” Nalule said.

She called on the EC to enforce campaign financing regulations more rigorously and to work with Parliament and civil society to set spending limits and penalise electoral bribery.

EOC vice chairperson Joel Cox Ojuko, commissioner James Mugisha and other senior officials echoed these concerns, urging the EC to put in place stronger civic education programmes to empower voters to make informed choices and resist financial manipulation.

The EOC also criticised the EC for delays in registering political parties and insufficient action in protecting voter confidentiality and preventing electoral violence.

Visually impaired voters were among those highlighted as suffering under the current system. Nalule reported that some voters with visual impairment had been forced to cast their ballots through polling officials or security personnel, rather than aides of their choice—an act that Justice Byabakama condemned as illegal and a violation of voter autonomy.

To address these issues, the EOC recommended that the EC adopt scientific verification methods for candidate eligibility, including age verification in youth elections, and collaborate with institutions like the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) and the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) for background checks.