Electoral Commission on Tuesday 11th December 2018 released the roadmap to 2021 General Election at hotel Africana in Kampala.
Electoral Commission chairman Justice Simon Byabakama said the unveiling of the road map was in line with legal mandate of the commission under articles 60 and 61 of constitution.
He said that the strategic plan is a result of extensive research and stakeholders consultation.
Electoral Commission showed that the current cost depends on parliament not enacting anymore districts.
According to Sam Rwakoojo, Secretary General if Electoral Commission says the 2021 elections will cost Uganda Shs868billion from Shs522billion in 2016.
He added that this figure is contingent on the parliament not reviewing or adding on the planned 141 districts and related administrative centres.
“Whereas government has continued to create new administrative units and local government provision for the recurrent budget has got to grow,” he said.
He explained that the cost of increment was caused by the new number of electoral areas since 2016.
The number of districts went from 112 to 141, municipalities from 39 to 80, Sub counties from 1398 to 2000, parishes from 7432 to 9500 and polling stations from 28,010 to 35,000.
The number of voters went up and over 19,000,400 expected to vote in 2021.
Further studies show that although the number of eligible voters continue to grow, the coming polls will cause Uganda over Shs44,639 per head making it the most expensive elections in the history of Uganda.
The higher cost is mostly caused due to introduction of biometric voters’ verification system in 2016 which was expected to produce more accurate statistics of the electorate
The system cost Ugandans $19million.
The prime minister Hon Ruhakana Rugunda assured ELECTORAL Commission that all the funds required would be provided in time to ensure smooth elections.
The roadmap is built on the assumption that general elections will be held between January 11th, 2021 and February 9th, 2021.
According to the timetable, Electoral Commission will publish constituencies by June, 2019 and provide general updates of the voters register by January, 2020.
Nominations of candidates between July and August 2020, delivery of ballots by October, 2020and election days for president and MPs is expected to start on 11th January 2021 all away to February.
