By Aggrey Twesigye
www.mknewslink.com
In Mbarara—–
A total of 51 Local Council One (LC I) chairperson candidates in Mbarara City have been declared unopposed ahead of the nationwide village elections scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
According to the Mbarara City Election Administrator, Violet Atuhura, 22 villages (cells) in Mbarara City North Division and 29 villages in Mbarara City South Division had only one candidate each, meaning no voting for the LC I chairperson position will take place in those areas.
Mbarara city has a total of 186 cells.
Atuhura urged the unopposed chairperson candidates to convene village meetings to appoint members of their executive committees on Tuesday.
She said the exercise will be conducted in the presence of village residents and supervised by village election officers to ensure transparency and compliance with Electoral Commission guidelines.
She also outlined the voting procedures for villages where elections will be held.
The exercise will begin at 7:00 a.m. with the verification of voters using the Electoral Commission register, a process that will continue until 10:00 a.m. Only voters whose names appear in the register will be allowed to participate in the election.
Verified voters will be issued voter slips, which they must present before taking part in the voting process, which will be conducted by lining up behind their preferred candidates.
From 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., election officials will conduct voter education before polling begins at 11:00 a.m. Atuhurra warned that no voter arriving after 11:00 a.m. will be permitted to take part in the election.
The Electoral Commission has designated Tuesday, July 28, 2026, for the LC I elections, which will be held simultaneously in more than 72,000 villages across Uganda.
Relatedly, authorities in Mbarara City have announced heightened security measures at several polling stations identified as potential violence hotspots ahead of the Local Council I (LC I) elections scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
The increased deployment will target polling stations including Mandela, Rwebyihuro, Lugazi, and Kashanyarazi, where security agencies have flagged possible disturbances during the electoral exercise.
Officials say the move is intended to ensure a peaceful and orderly voting process.
Speaking ahead of the elections, Mbarara City South Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Gerald Tukamuheebwa, warned individuals planning to disrupt the polls that they would face arrest.
He urged residents to refrain from engaging in acts that could undermine the electoral process.
Tukamuheebwa also called on eligible voters to turn up in large numbers and peacefully exercise their constitutional right to vote.