Govt blocks public servants from LC village contests
Barugahara said the Government received petitions and concerns about public servants abandoning duty stations for Local Council I and II campaigns.
Minister of Local Government, Balaam Barugahara. (Courtesy)
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The Government has warned public servants against contesting for the Local Council I and II positions.
Addressing the media in Adjumani district on Wednesday, the Minister of Local Government, Balaam Barugahara, said the Government received petitions and concerns about public servants abandoning duty stations for Local Council I and II campaigns.
He listed teachers, health workers, Administration staff, and extension workers among the political hopefuls.
Barugahara revealed that after the reports, President Yoweri Museveni constituted a committee led by the Attorney General Sam Muyanja to review and interpret the law on the eligible persons to contest for the local council positions.
According to him, the Mayanja report dated July 22, 2026, states that the Constitution and the different laws and Acts prohibit a public servant from contesting in the local council positions while still holding a public office.
At the media engagement, Barugahara issued a statement asking the public servants to back off the village local council seats.
"The Ministry of Local Government is concerned about reports regarding public officers in local government, including teachers, health workers, administration staff, extension workers and other public servants who have expressed interest in contesting or are participating in the ongoing administrative unit elections," he said.
"After review and interpretation of the binding laws, the Attorney General guides that public servants are not eligible to contest unless they have lawfully vacated public office," Balaam added.
Barugahara said all the public officers are required to maintain political neutrality in the discharge of their official duties.
"It is important to note that contesting for any political office in the multi-party political system entails the articulation of a political agenda or belonging to a political party and hence, is participation in a partisan political activity in every sense", said Barugahara.
Article 176 of the Constitution of Uganda establishes local governments as units of government. A person serving in a local government is a public officer within the meaning of the Constitution and Public Service Standing Orders 2021 and is subject to the laws and regulations governing the public service.
The minister added that the Attorney General and the committee guided that, whereas the Local Government Act Cap.138 provides that, public officer, a person employed in any department or agency of Government, and employee of a local council or an employee of a body in which Government has a controlling interest, who wishes to stand for election to a local council office shall resign his or her office at least thirty days before nominations day in accordance with the procedure of the service or employment to which he or she belongs.
The advisory, the minister added, is to ensure that all public officers remain politically neutral in the performance of their duties and do not engage in partisan political activities that would compromise the impartiality of the public service.
Balaam urged the public officers to uphold the integrity, impartiality and professionalism of the public service.
"Public officers who play a vital role in delivering essential services to people of Uganda must remain non-partisan while in office", he added.