By Mulengera Reporters
The Electoral Commission (EC) has moved to calm growing anxiety among thousands of temporary election workers over delayed payments for the recently concluded 2025–2026 General Elections, assuring officials that all verified allowances will be paid in line with their appointment letters.
In a detailed public notice released this week, the Commission outlined the rates payable to temporary election officials who participated in various electoral activities ranging from presidential and parliamentary elections to Special Interest Groups (SIGs) polls conducted from village to district level.
The clarification comes after weeks of complaints from polling staff, including Presiding Officers, Polling Assistants, Police Constables, BVVK Operators, Tally Clerks, and supervisors, many of whom claimed they had not yet received their facilitation despite completing assignments during the election period.
According to the Commission, payments have been categorized in clusters based on the different election phases conducted between January and February 2026.
The EC confirmed that polling officials who served during the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held on January 15, 2026, had already been paid through the e-cash system. However, payments for officials who worked during subsequent local government elections remain under processing.
These include officials involved in District and City Council elections held on January 22, Municipality and City Division elections conducted on January 27, and Sub-county and Town Council elections held on February 4.
The Commission also revealed that allowances for repeat elections and other remaining categories are yet to be processed.
Under the approved rates, Presiding Officers received Shs100,000 per election category for general elections, while Polling Assistants and Police Constables were each entitled to Shs75,000. BVVK Operators, who handled biometric voter verification kits, were allocated Shs100,000 per election category.
Tally Clerks, who worked at tally centers during vote compilation, were entitled to Shs300,000 per election category in addition to a Shs50,000 training allowance.
Sub-county and Parish Supervisors also received several facilitation packages covering transport, lunch, voter education, training activities, and polling supervision. Some of the highest allocations included Shs345,000 safari day allowances during nominations and campaigns.
For officials who participated in Special Interest Groups elections involving youth, persons with disabilities, and older persons councils, Presiding Officers were allocated Shs50,000, while Polling Assistants and Polling Constables each received Shs40,000.
Despite the Commission’s assurance, officials across several districts have continued to report delays, with some claiming that they have repeatedly visited Returning Officers’ offices seeking clarification on their payments.
The EC attributed many of the delays to inconsistencies in mobile money registration details submitted by beneficiaries during recruitment.
“Processing of some payments has not been completed because the mobile telephone numbers provided do not match the corresponding names in our database,” the Commission explained in the statement.
According to the EC, such discrepancies caused several e-cash transactions to bounce back, forcing Returning Officers to contact affected officials and request correction of their details before payments can be reprocessed.
The Commission also noted that some officials served in one election activity but did not participate in subsequent electoral cycles. In those cases, revised lists of eligible beneficiaries had to be submitted by Returning Officers before payment processing could continue.
Election observers say the payment clarification reflects the enormous logistical challenge involved in managing Uganda’s nationwide electoral operations, which rely heavily on temporary personnel recruited across all districts.
During the election period, tens of thousands of short-term workers were deployed to supervise polling stations, verify voters, manage tallying processes, provide security, and oversee voter education activities.
The Commission has increasingly embraced electronic payment systems in recent election cycles to reduce fraud, improve accountability, and minimize the risks associated with transporting cash across districts.
However, experts argue that dependence on mobile money systems also exposes the process to technical setbacks, especially where officials submit incorrect or unregistered telephone numbers.
Several temporary workers contacted by local media acknowledged receiving partial payments but said uncertainty remained over balances linked to later election phases.
Others expressed concern over the length of time taken to process local government election allowances, arguing that many officials relied on the payments to offset transport and operational expenses incurred during the electoral period.
In response, the Electoral Commission reiterated its commitment to settling all verified claims and urged affected officials to cooperate with Returning Officers to rectify any discrepancies in their payment details.
“The Commission wishes to assure all temporary election officials who were duly appointed and served during the General Elections that their allowances will be paid in accordance with the terms outlined in their respective appointment letters and at the approved rates,” the statement read.
The EC also commended temporary election staff for what it described as dedication and professionalism that enabled the successful conduct of the elections within the timelines established in the national electoral roadmap.
As processing continues, many temporary officials now wait for the next payment cycle, hoping the Commission’s assurances will soon translate into cash reaching their mobile money accounts. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
