The Independent Electoral Commission (EC) has extended the update of the National Voters’ Register for seven more days to allow more eligible Ugandans to register and update their details ahead of the 2025/2026 General Elections.

Addressing the press in Kampala, the EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi announced that the exercise, which was set to end on Monday February 10th 2025, will now continue from Tuesday, February 11th to Monday, February 17th, 2025, running daily from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, including weekends.

Byabakama said the extension is in response to concerns raised by key stakeholders and observations made in the field.

He urged all unregistered citizens aged 18 and above to take advantage of this opportunity. Since the update exercise began on January 20, 2025, the Commission has registered 361,432 new voters and processed 292,021 transfer applications. 

The total number of registered voters now stands at 19,925,574, up from 18.1 million in the 2020/2021 elections. However, the process has faced challenges, notably limited and aging registration kits from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), leading to delays in service delivery.

Byabakama acknowledged that cases of machine breakdowns and high applicant numbers at update centers have slowed down the exercise.

He clarified that the extension is not a fresh registration but an opportunity for eligible citizens who have not yet registered to do so. It will also allow registered voters to transfer to a new polling station, provided they prove residency or origin, and enable voters to verify and confirm their details at update centers or via the EC website (https://ec.or.ug/register). 

The EC will continue updating the register until the Display Exercise scheduled for April-May 2025, after which no further changes will be made. 

Byabakama appealed to the public to use this final extension, emphasizing that no further deadlines will be granted.

By Olivia Nabaggala

10 February 2025

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