The Electoral Commission (EC) has revealed that the 2026 General Elections cost taxpayers UGX1.146 trillion, up from UGX698.66 billion spent in 2021, with the acquisition of the Biometric Voter Verification System (BVVS) being the single largest expenditure at UGX262.55 billion.
The details are contained in the EC’s September 2026 report on the 2025/2026 General Elections, published on October 29, 2026. The Commission had requested UGX1.138 trillion, government released UGX1.308 trillion, of which UGX1.146 trillion was spent.
“The significant increase in the cost of the 2025/26 General Elections compared to the previous General Elections was caused by the implementation of the mandatory use of BVVS for identification and verification of voters, which necessitated splitting of polling stations to not more than 600 voters. Consequently, this increased the quantity of election materials and equipment to be procured and the number of polling officials recruited, trained and deployed,” the report states.
In his foreword, EC Chairperson Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama said the 2025/2026 elections marked another significant milestone in Uganda’s democratic journey, reaffirming the commitment of Ugandans to constitutional governance and democratic principles of participation, inclusiveness, transparency and peaceful transfer of mandates.
“The successful organisation and conduct of these elections was a culmination of years of careful planning and preparation undertaken by the Electoral Commission in accordance with the Roadmap for the 2025/2026 General Elections,” Byabakama wrote.
Rising Cost of Elections
The Commission provided a breakdown of election costs over the past seven cycles:
– 1996: UGX18.11 billion
– 2001: UGX33.83 billion
– 2006: UGX67.01 billion
– 2011: UGX299.53 billion
– 2016: UGX476.58 billion
– 2021: UGX698.66 billion
– 2026: UGX1.146 trillion
The EC attributed the rising costs to: increase in voting population; increase in polling stations; increase in administrative units; adoption of technology; continuous reforms in electoral laws; price changes including fuel prices; and prevailing economic conditions.
Major Procurements
The 2026 elections were fully funded by government through the Consolidated Fund. Major procurements included:
– Acquisition of Biometric Voter Verification System: UGX262,552,042,861
– Printing and supply of ballot papers and declaration of results forms: UGX88,695,748,750
– Procurement of motor vehicles: UGX20,611,212,805
Lower procurements included:
– Deduplication system (Automated Biometric Identification System – ABIS): UGX19,196,360,000
– Advertising and publicity: UGX19,767,981,894.52
– Hire of extra warehouse space: UGX249,750,000
– Hire of trucks for transporting polling kits: UGX1,580,217,361
Funding Delays
Although the first funding for the 2026 elections was expected in FY 2023/24 (UGX195.958 billion), no funds were received, pushing the budget requirement for FY 2024/25 to UGX765.65 billion.
In FY 2024/25, government released UGX388.522 billion, leaving a gap of UGX377.128 billion. The Commission rescheduled some activities to FY 2025/26.
Government released UGX919.687 billion in the third phase for FY 2025/26, including UGX469.5 billion as a supplementary budget for mandatory BVVS use, splitting of polling stations and related administration costs.
Social Media and Candidates
The EC said social media emerged as a significant platform for voter education, enabling rapid dissemination of information, particularly to young and digitally connected voters.
By the end of the elections, the Commission’s X handle had 102,900 followers with 4,654,820 impressions and 81,588 engagements, while Instagram had 8,052 followers, and TikTok had 75,700 followers, 460 shares and 26 live streams.
A total of 2,735 candidates were nominated, with Directly Elected Members of Parliament constituting the highest number at 2,006.
