The Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee has emphasized the urgent need for government funding, particularly for the Electoral Commission (EC), to kickstart preparations for the 2026 general elections.
They’ve highlighted significant delays in releasing the necessary funds, which has caused the electoral roadmap to fall behind schedule.
Committee Chairperson Hon. Robina Rwakoojo revealed that despite the EC’s plan for implementing roadmap activities in the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years, only a fraction of the required budget has been provided.
Consequently, the committee recommended an additional allocation of Shs756.988 billion to ensure timely execution of statutory activities leading up to the general elections.
“The committee learned that EC planned roadmap activities for the first phase were to be implemented in 2023/2024 financial year and the second phase in 2024/2025 at a total of Shs765.6268 billion but only Shs8.638 billion has been provided,” said Rwakoojo.
The report, presented on April 12, 2024, during a plenary sitting chaired by Speaker Anita Among, was ultimately approved. It also addressed other funding needs, including enhancing remuneration for the Electoral Commission and addressing financial constraints affecting the Law Development Centre (LDC).
Furthermore, the committee endorsed a request for funding to recruit more state attorneys to alleviate case backlogs and ensure effective representation of the government in legal matters.
“LDC has been forced to suspend teaching of the Diploma in Law and Diploma in Human Rights at Mbarara and Lira campuses and also short courses at training centres in Mbale, Gulu, Soroti, Kasese and Rukungiri due inadequate funding,” Rwakoojo stated.
MPs echoed the importance of government honoring these recommendations, stressing the impact on the justice system and the need to address staffing deficiencies in lower courts to prevent unnecessary detainment of individuals.
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