By Mulengera Reporters
The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) has outlined a coordinated approach to polling day management ahead of the 2026 general elections, directing its supporters, together with NRM’s to leave polling stations immediately after voting in line with Electoral Commission (EC) guidelines and existing security arrangements.
The position was explained by PLU Secretary General (SG) and Kasambya constituency MP, David Kabanda on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at the movement’s headquaters in Nagulu, as political mobilisation intensifies ahead of the January 15, 2026 polls.
Kabanda said the guidance to supporters followed direction from the PLU chairperson, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who also serves as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). He explained that the instruction applies nationally and is intended to streamline activities at polling stations by clearly separating the roles of voters from those of election officials, party agents and security personnel.
According to the SG, under Uganda’s electoral framework, voters complete their role once they cast their ballots, after which responsibility for protecting ballot materials, counting votes and declaring results rests with the EC. Security agencies are tasked with maintaining order, while political parties participate through accredited polling agents.
Kabanda said the NRM has put in place a comprehensive deployment plan for 2026, saying that the NRM presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni will have six (6) agents at each polling station and each parliamentary candidate will have (2) two agents. In addition, Kabanda said that security agencies have committed to stationing at least two officers at every polling centre, while the EC will deploy up to five (5) officials per station.
He explained that these combined deployments, together with agents from other political parties, are intended to ensure adequate oversight and transparency during voting and counting, without the need for voters to remain at polling stations after voting.
Kabanda linked the directive to the NRM’s assessment of the 2021 elections, during which President Museveni has repeatedly said more than two million of his votes were lost. Kabanda said post-election reviews conducted by the NRM indicated that Museveni received over six million votes nationally, while National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Robert Kyagulanyi received more than three million votes, with a significant number of ballots recorded as invalid.
According to Kabanda, many of the invalid votes were believed to have been cast for Museveni but were rejected during counting due to technical errors, such as voting marks extending beyond designated boxes. He said the ruling party attributes this outcome to the environment at some polling stations during vote counting.
The legislator from Kasambya explained that in 2021, large crowds remained at polling stations after voting, creating pressure on polling agents and EC officials during the verification of disputed ballots, adding that this atmosphere made it difficult for the NRM agents to challenge decisions, and in some cases resulted in votes being reassigned during tallying due to fear of confrontation.
Kabanda said PLU’s insistence on supporters leaving polling stations after voting is informed by this experience and is aimed at preventing similar conditions in the 2026 elections.
He also addressed recent public warnings issued by Gen Muhoozi cautioning against attempts to disrupt polling stations, explaining that the statements were meant to reinforce EC regulations rather than introduce new directives, and to signal that security agencies will enforce existing electoral laws.
The EC chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, has previously warned that voters should not remain at polling stations after voting, stating that the management of polling stations, including counting and declaration of results, is the responsibility of the Commission. He also clarified that citizens may observe proceedings from a distance of at least 20 metres but are not permitted to interfere with polling station operations.
PLU says its position is aligned with this legal and operational framework and is intended to ensure orderly polling, clear role definition and uninterrupted vote counting during the 2026 general elections. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
