EC Seeks Shs20 Billion Extra for Women’s Council Elections

The Honorable Jackson Kafuuzi, Deputy Attorney General, has been tasked with drafting a legal document to extend the tenure of the Women Councils.

“There is a political void, and this must be filled. Can this material be delivered by next Tuesday?” Speaker Anita Among posed the question.

The decision followed Kafuuzi’s plea to Parliament to consider the Electoral Commission’s request for a Shs20 billion supplemental budget for the organization of Women Council elections.

Women elected to councils and committees in 2018 saw their terms expire and expire on Tuesday, 23 August 2022.

Kafuuzi also demanded the prompt disbursement of the budgeted Shs15.68 billion to enable the Women’s Council elections.

“This would enable the Electoral Commission to satisfy outstanding commitments and fulfill the legal requirement of organizing and holding elections for new office bearers for Women Councils from village to national level,” said Kafuuzi.

Wednesday, November 9, 2022, he made this remark to the House regarding the progress of elections for women’s councils and committees.

Prior to the 2022/2023 fiscal year, the Electoral Commission presented a financing requirement of Shs35.68 billion for the Women Council elections, of which Shs15.68 billion was appropriated.

He stated that this created a Shs20 billion funding deficit.

“The Electoral Commission had planned for election activities to begin in June 2022 in order to avoid a power vacuum when the existing Women Council office holders’ terms expire in August of this year,” Kafuuzi explained.

He added that the Electoral Commission has begun preparing for the conduct of the elections in the expectation that the finance ministry will allocate additional resources.

“Upon distribution of the approved budget projections for Fiscal Year 2022/2023, the Commission realized that the authorized budget levels were inadequate. “As a result, the Commission has indefinitely ceased its election-related activities,” the Deputy Attorney General stated.

Kafuuzi stated that the commission received non-wage money of Shs12 billion for the first quarter, of which Shs3.613 billion was allocated for MP by-elections in Soroti East, Gogonyo, Bukimbiri, and Busongora counties.

It was also responsible for 26 Local Government by-elections.

“The Commission is obligated to pay outstanding commitments, but service providers and ad hoc personnel who were employed during the ended activities are demanding payment,” Kafuzi told the House.