By Joseph Mary Buule
KAMPALA. Government has finally declared next Tuesday, July 28, 2026, a public holiday to allow citizens across the country to participate in the nationwide Local Council I (LC I) elections.
The announcement was made on Friday, July 24, through a statement issued by Uganda Media Centre Executive Director Alan Kasujja, who said the holiday is intended to enable all eligible Ugandans to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
“To enable you to participate in the Local Council Elections, 28th July, 2026 is a Public Holiday,” the statement reads.
The declaration comes just days before Ugandans head to the polls to elect Local Council leaders at the village level, marking another key milestone in the country’s electoral calendar.
The LC I elections will determine leaders responsible for grassroots governance, community mobilization, dispute resolution and coordination of government programmes at the village level.
Government has urged eligible voters to use the public holiday to actively participate in the electoral process, emphasizing the importance of Local Council structures in strengthening service delivery, citizen participation and local administration.
The Electoral Commission has been finalizing preparations for the polls, with voting expected to take place in villages across the country on Tuesday.
The nationwide exercise which will take place in over 70,000 villages forms part of Uganda’s broader local government electoral process aimed at filling leadership positions within the country’s decentralized governance system.