EC Bans Rallies as It Pushes Ahead with 2021 Elections.

Speculation as to whether there will be elections in 2021 is finally over with the Electoral Commission, the body charged with organizing elections in Uganda coming out today to announce a revised electoral roadmap.

This is not going to be a conventional election like we have known it, where candidates traverse the country campaigning by holding mass rallies to explain their manifestos. This time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mass gatherings of people will not be permitted in compliance with Ministry of Health directives on controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of rallies and other person-to-person campaigns, candidates are going to use the media to reach their voters, according to guidelines announced by Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, the Electoral Commission chairperson. He was speaking during a press conference held at the EC headquarters in Kampala.

He said that the Electoral Commission had looked at all provisions of the constitution and all allow them to undertake these unprecedented measures.