Opposition party leaders have voiced concerns about the ongoing voter registration update exercise, questioning its fairness and alleging that the incumbent party is using its position to control the process.

The exercise, which includes registration, updating voter information, and transferring polling stations, began on Monday, January 20, and will continue until February 10. It operates daily from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, including weekends.

However, it has already faced challenges, leading to calls for an extension due to concerns raised.

David Lewis Rubongoya, the Secretary General of the National Unity Platform (NUP), the largest opposition political party said apart from the little time dedicated to the exercise, the idea of holding the updates at the parish level is a disincentive to many potential voters.

“The idea of conducting the exercise at the parish level is also not a good one because there are very big parishes and our people can’t walk there. We want the Electoral Commission to conduct this exercise at village level so that all the people are catered for especially since this exercise has been given very few days,” Rubongoya.

He also expressed displeasure with the decision not to register children who are 17 years old. “We are not happy that the Electoral Commission is not registering people who are not 18 years old. It is very unfair because for sure we know that these people will be 18 years old by the time we go for elections in 2026,” Rubongoya.

Democratic Party Vice President Fred Mukasa Mbidde expressed regret that political parties are unable to closely monitor this critical phase of the electoral process. “It’s unfortunate that while the voter registration and update exercise has started, opposition parties cannot track who is being added or removed from the voter register,” Mbidde said. “This directly impacts the results of the January elections,” Mbidde said. He added that opposition parties are hampered by restrictions that prevent them from conducting field operations until after the official nomination of candidates, which leaves many unable to deploy teams to observe the update activities in rural areas.

Furthermore, he emphasized that logistical and financial challenges limit the ability of opposition branches to actively participate in monitoring the process. “We can only do so much from a distance. If we miss ceremonies or updates, how can we know if someone has passed away or if the register is being updated properly?” he asked.

The lack of oversight has heightened opposition concerns that the incumbent party may be leveraging its power to tilt the process in its favour. “The incumbent has the means to influence or direct certain institutions to serve its political advantage,” Mbidde stated, raising alarms that the voter update exercise could be more beneficial to the ruling party than to the integrity of the election process itself.

With limited resources and oversight capacity, opposition parties fear they may be excluded from crucial updates that could impact the outcome of the election.