The long-awaited elections for Local Council One (LC1) and Local Council Two (LC2) leaders will be held in March, the government has confirmed, ending years of postponement that left grassroots administrative units operating under extended mandates.
The Minister for Local Government, Mr Raphael Magyezi, said preparations are underway to facilitate voting across more than 70,000 villages and parishes countrywide. The polls are expected to fill key leadership positions at the lowest tiers of Uganda’s governance system.
LC1 chairpersons preside over village affairs, including mediation of minor disputes, mobilising communities for government programmes, and certifying official documents. LC2 leaders operate at parish level, supervising several villages and playing an oversight role in local administration.
The elections were last held several years ago, but subsequent polls were repeatedly deferred, largely due to budgetary constraints and logistical challenges. In the interim, existing office bearers continued serving beyond their original terms, drawing criticism from governance advocates who argued that the delays weakened democratic accountability.
Officials now say funding has been secured to conduct the exercise, which is expected to restore elected representation at grassroots level. The Electoral Commission is anticipated to release a detailed roadmap outlining nomination dates and polling procedures.
Political analysts observe that while LC elections rarely attract the intensity of parliamentary or presidential contests, they are crucial in shaping community-level decision-making and implementing government programmes such as Parish Development Model initiatives.
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