By Diana Kintu
The Electoral Commission of Uganda has announced an important change in the schedule for elections of non-unionised workers. These elections, which were supposed to take place on 5th August 2025, have now been moved to 18th August 2025. This change affects workers who are not part of any labour union but have jobs where they earn a salary or wages.
The Chairperson explained that the delay was necessary to allow enough time for proper preparations. The law requires the Minister responsible for workers to register all non-unionised workers before elections can take place. The new dates will ensure everything is done correctly so that workers can choose their representatives fairly.
A non-unionised worker is any Ugandan who has a job and receives payment (salary or wages), has a valid work identity card and is not a member of any workers’ union.
The elections will happen in three stages:
- Sub-County/Town Council Level: 18th August 2025, workers will gather at their Sub-County or Town Council headquarters and elect 10 delegates, including at least 3 women, to represent them at the next level.
- District/City Level: On 22nd August 2025, 10 delegates from each Sub-County will meet at their District or City headquarters and elect another 10 delegates, with at least 3 women, to go to the regional level.
- Regional Level (25th August 2025. Delegates from all districts in each of Uganda’s four regions (Northern, Eastern, Central, and Western) will meet and will elect 10 final delegates who will join unionised workers to vote for Workers’ Members of Parliament in 2026.
To take part in these elections, a worker must be a Ugandan citizen aged 18 years or above, fully a registered voter with a valid employment ID and belong to any Workers’ Union.
The meetings will start at 7:00 am; nominations will be made orally (by speaking, not writing). A worker who wants to stand must be proposed by one person and seconded by two others.
Voting will be by lining up behind the preferred candidate. Women will be elected first to ensure at least 3 women are amongst the 10 delegates.
The elected delegates will not hold positions like Chairperson or Secretary—they will only represent workers at the next level.
The 10 delegates from each region will later join unionised workers to form a National Delegates Conference. This group will vote for Members of Parliament Representing Workers between 12th January and 9th February 2026.
The Electoral Commission is urging all eligible non-unionised workers to attend these meetings in large numbers and choose their leaders. This is their constitutional right, and their participation will help ensure fair representation in government. Local leaders, including Regional Election Officers, Returning Officers, and Community Development Officers, have been instructed to spread this information to all workers.
As signed by the Chairperson, Electoral Commission Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon, this announcement is important for all workers who are not in unions but want a say in who represents them in Parliament. For more details, workers can contact the Electoral Commission through their website (www.ec.or.ug) or offices in Kampala.