President Yoweri Museveni has appointed four new commissioners to Uganda’s Electoral Commission (EC), with Justice Simon Byamukama Mugyenyi as the Chairperson, Hajjati Aisha Lubega as the Deputy Chairperson, and Stephen Tashobya retained in the team.
In a letter to the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among dated January 5, 2023, President Museveni invoked his powers under Article 60 (1) of the 1995 Constitution to appoint the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, forwarding their names to Parliament for approval.
The newly appointed commissioners include Dr. Ssimba Ssali Kayunga, a political science lecturer at Makerere University, Anthony Okello, a former Member of Parliament for Kyoga County, Robert Sebunya Kasule, the former Nansana Municipality MP, and Pamela Etonu Okudi, who served as the head of Administration at the EC.
Outgoing commissioners include Peter Emorut, Hajji Mustapha Ssebagala, Justine Ahabwe Mugabi, and Nathaline Etomaru.
The term of the previous commission expired on January 7, 2024, and the new commission will undergo vetting by Parliament’s Appointment Committee, chaired by the Speaker.
The EC, established under Article 60 of the 1995 Constitution, consists of the Chairman, Deputy Chairperson, and five other members appointed by the President with Parliament’s approval. The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary.
The functions of the EC, outlined in Article 61 of the 1995 Constitution, include ensuring regular, free, and fair elections, organizing and supervising elections and referenda, demarcating constituencies, ascertaining and declaring election results, maintaining the voters’ register, hearing election complaints, formulating voter education programs, and performing other functions as prescribed by law.
