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A shocking audit into the operations of the Electoral Commission has laid bare a catalogue of financial and administrative failures that have thrown the country’s election managers into fresh controversy.
The explosive findings from the latest report by the Office of the Auditor General for the financial year 2025 reveal that the electoral body has been operating under weak policies, questionable financial decisions and delayed reforms, raising concerns about whether those entrusted with managing Uganda’s elections are properly doing their job.
The audit shows that the Commission entered the financial year already weighed down by domestic arrears amounting to UGX10.49 billion as of July 1, 2024. Although the Commission managed to settle UGX9.28 billion, representing 88 percent of the arrears, a balance of UGX1.21 billion remained outstanding by June 30, 2025, raising fresh questions about financial discipline within the institution responsible for managing the country’s democratic process.
The report indicates that despite receiving significant funding for its strategic objectives, serious governance gaps persist. The Commission’s Strategic Plan, whose cost estimate stood at UGX1.77 trillion, was funded at 95 percent, with UGX1.76 trillion realised during the implementation period. Yet auditors say the Commission had still not finalised a new draft strategic plan aligned to the National Development Plan IV by its commencement date of July 1, 2025, resulting in delays in aligning the institution’s operations with national priorities.
“This delayed alignment undermines effective planning and implementation of the Commission’s mandate,” the Auditor General’s report states.
Even more alarming was the discovery that the Electoral Commission lacks a formal policy to guide the management of election materials, an issue that experts say could expose the country’s electoral process to risks ranging from logistical confusion to accountability gaps.
Auditors also uncovered serious weaknesses in the Commission’s technology governance. According to the report, the draft Information Technology policy had remained unchanged since 2013, leaving the institution operating with outdated digital management guidelines.
The policy, auditors say, only offers general IT planning guidelines and lacks detailed procedures for task execution, does not provide guidance on data retention periods, fails to outline protocols for archiving and accessing historical election data, does not establish technical criteria for onboarding IT vendors, and lacks provisions related to environmental considerations.
“These weaknesses limit the Commission’s ability to properly manage its information systems and safeguard electoral data,” the audit notes.
The report also raised concerns about how the Commission handled funds allocated to political organizations. During the financial year, the Commission transferred UGX44.99 billion to fund activities of political parties across the country. However, auditors found that there was no standard reporting guidance on how the parties should submit budgets and accountabilities, making it difficult to ensure transparency or compare financial information among the beneficiaries.
Another troubling revelation concerned delays in procurement approvals. Auditors discovered that four procurements worth UGX2.16 billion took between 27 and 32 days to receive clearance from the Solicitor General’s office after submission.
In an even more controversial development, the Commission paid UGX26.2 billion to the National Housing and Construction Company Ltd without a contract or proportionate deliverables, raising red flags about accountability for public funds.
Auditors further noted that no contract manager had been appointed to supervise the works that had already been paid for, leaving billions of shillings exposed to possible misuse.
Financial management within the Commission also came under scrutiny. Out of total warrants amounting to UGX556.37 billion, the Commission spent UGX470.64 billion, representing an absorption level of 85 percent. While seven outputs worth UGX89 billion were fully implemented, six outputs worth UGX325.78 billion were only partially implemented, raising questions about whether taxpayers received value for the massive expenditure.
EC GAMBLES ON KAMUGISHA AS SECRETARY
These audit revelations emerge against the backdrop of years of turbulence inside the Electoral Commission’s leadership.
Ahead of the 2021 General Elections, the institution was rocked by a major purge when the government dismissed its long-serving Secretary Sam Rwakoojo following corruption allegations.
President Yoweri Museveni reportedly ordered the removal not only of Rwakoojo but also several other senior officials including Jotham Taremwa, Pontius Namugera, and Godfrey Wanyoto, in a dramatic shake-up at a time when the country was preparing for national elections.
Rwakoojo was later succeeded by Leonard Mulekwah, but the controversy did not end.
In October 2024, Mulekwah was sent on forced leave amid similar corruption allegations after the Inspectorate of Government reportedly implicated him and other senior officials in questionable financial practices, further eroding public confidence in the Commission.
The crisis deepened in January 2025, when Mulekwah and five other senior election officials were suspended to pave the way for investigations into alleged financial mismanagement and irregular utilization of funds.
But as the dust settled, it became clear Mulekwah’s days at the Commission were effectively over.
In a fresh leadership twist, the Electoral Commission has now gambled on a new secretary.
The Commission recently announced the appointment of Richard Baabo Kamugisha as the new Secretary effective March 4, 2026, after he had been serving in an acting capacity since late 2024.
“The Electoral Commission has appointed Richard Baabo Kamugisha as its new Secretary effective 4th March 2026,” the Commission said in a statement issued on March 10, 2026.
As Secretary, Kamugisha becomes the Accounting Officer and head of the Commission’s technical wing responsible for overall management of the institution.
“As Secretary to the Commission, Kamugisha is also the Accounting Officer and the Head of the Technical Wing (Management) of the Commission,” the statement explained.
Kamugisha is no stranger to the Commission. Having joined the institution in 1999, he has risen through the ranks serving as District Registrar and District Returning Officer, Head of Field Operations Department and Director of Operations.
“A very experienced and distinguished election management expert, Kamugisha has served the Electoral Commission since 1999,” the Commission noted.
Under the Electoral Commission Act, the Secretary serves a five-year term renewable once.
Yet his appointment has already stirred debate within governance circles.
Sources within the election management fraternity say Kamugisha was part of the previous management teams under both Rwakoojo and Mulekwah, raising concerns about whether the Commission is genuinely reforming or simply recycling insiders.
“Some people feel the Commission should have looked outside the institution for new leadership,” one source familiar with the internal dynamics told Red Pepper. “The new Secretary has been part of the previous corrupt system.”
In the aftermath of the 2026 general elections, analysts warn that the issues highlighted by the Auditor General must be addressed urgently if the Commission is to restore public confidence.
“The Electoral Commission sits at the heart of Uganda’s democracy,” a governance expert observed. “If the institution managing elections struggles with policy gaps, financial management and internal accountability, the implications are serious.”
For now, all eyes are on the Commission’s new leadership to see whether the latest gamble on Kamugisha will stabilize the institution — or whether the storm exposed by the Auditor General will deepen.
Watch this space!
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