By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
Government has declared January 15 and 16, 2026, public holidays to allow Ugandans to participate in the Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
In a legal notice signed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the declaration was made under the Public Holidays Act (Cap. 174), suspending normal work and business activities across the country during the polling period.
“In exercise of the powers conferred upon the President by Section 2 (2) of the Public Holidays Act, I declare 15th and 16th January, 2026 to be observed as public holidays throughout Uganda,” Museveni’s notice read in parts.
According to the president the declaration is to enable citizens to participate in the Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
The move comes amid intensified political activity as the country gears up for the general elections.
Data from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Uganda has registered a record 21,681,491 voters for the 2026 General Elections, up from about 18.1 million registered voters in the 2021 polls. Of these, 11,347,129 (53%) are female, while 10,334,362 (47%) are male, giving women a slight majority on the national voters’ register.
The voters are distributed across 50,739 polling stations nationwide, covering 146 districts, 312 counties, 353 constituencies, 2,191 sub-counties, town councils and municipal divisions, 10,717 parishes and 71,214 villages.
The EC says the increase in voter numbers is a result of continuous updates to the national voters’ register under its 2025/26 electoral roadmap.
EC chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama has called on all registered voters to turn up in large numbers and participate peacefully in the elections, adding that voter location slips will be issued to help voters identify their respective polling stations.
Additionally, the government says the declaration of public holidays is intended to boost voter turnout and support a smooth and orderly electoral process as Ugandans head to the polls next week.
