The Electoral Commission has received presidential ballot papers ahead of the forthcoming general elections, in which eight candidates are competing for the topmost political position in the country.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday night at Entebbe International Airport, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Simon Byabakama, confirmed that the consignment consists of 193 pallets of presidential ballot papers delivered from Dubai.
Justice Byabakama said he was at the airport together with fellow commissioners, senior technical staff of the Electoral Commission, and representatives of political parties to oversee the receipt of the sensitive electoral materials.
“This evening, we are receiving the first consignment, which consists of 193 pallets of presidential ballot papers that have arrived from Dubai,” Justice Byabakama said.
The papers, printed by a Dubai-based firm, Al Ghurair Printing & Publishing Company, came aboard a privately chartered cargo aircraft operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic for the Network Aviation Group. The specific aircraft, with registration TF-AKE, arrived at around 9pm, and offloading started immediately when the Electoral Commission Chairperson and representatives of political parties arrived at the airport.
The offloading and loading onto trucks went on throughout the night amidst tight security. They were then taken onto trucks that had earlier arrived in a heavily guarded convoy of Counter Terrorism policemen and women.
Justice Byabakama assured the public that the ballot papers are under tight security at the airport and emphasized that there is no risk of interference.“They are very safe and very secure. There is absolutely no doubt about their security,” he noted.
According to the Electoral Commission Chairperson, the ballot papers have been clearly organized and labeled by district to ease handling, transportation, and distribution across the country. Some of the boxes sealed with red cellotape seen by our reporter included Wakiso, Isingiro, Kiboga, Mayuge, and Kasese, among other districts.
“These ballot papers are marked by district. This arrangement will help us pack them accordingly and distribute them efficiently to their respective destinations,” Byabakama said.
Justice Byabakama further revealed that a second consignment, comprising parliamentary ballot papers, is expected to arrive today, Thursday, while the final consignment for parliamentary elections is scheduled to arrive on December 26, 2025.
According to the Electoral Commission, there are 21,681,491 registered voters across 50,739 polling stations. However, Byabakama said they printed slightly excess ballots to cater for cases where a voter accidentally or intentionally spoils a ballot paper.
“The law allows a voter who spoils a ballot paper to return it to the presiding officer and receive another one. That is why we print slightly more ballots than the number of voters on the national voters’ register,” Justice Byabakama explained.
After clearance at the airport, the ballot papers will be transported to secure Electoral Commission warehouses, where they will be stored under strict security until distribution.On transparency and inclusiveness, Justice Byabakama said representatives of political parties were invited to witness the process.
“We invited all political parties. Among those present are representatives from the National Peasants Party and other stakeholders, including representatives of presidential candidates. This is a very serious national exercise,” he said.
When asked about the cost of printing and transporting the ballot papers, Justice Byabakama said the figures were not immediately available, noting that the Commission’s accounting officer was not present. He assured the media that the cost details would be communicated at an appropriate time, adding that the information is not secret.
Byabakama also used the opportunity to strongly condemn election-related violence, urging all stakeholders to conduct themselves peacefully.“Violence is abhorrent and condemnable. It does not benefit anyone and only disadvantages us as a nation. We appeal to all stakeholders to act within the law, to be civil, courteous, and tolerant of one another so that we can have peaceful elections,” said Byabakama.
The Chairperson also called upon all Ugandans to maintain peace throughout the electoral process and emphasized that elections should not be a reason for conflict but an opportunity for democratic expression.
Nelson Agaba, the official agent of Gregory Mugisha Muntu, the presidential candidate for the Alliance for National Transformation, witnessed the arrival and said they started long ago asking for the list of packing for votes given per district so that they can begin verification.
He said they needed that list for transparency and that they still need it as early as now.Agaba noted that he wonders why the ballot papers arrived at night instead of during the day.
He said he was concerned that a lot of things happen at night and that, for purposes of transparency, the consignment should have arrived during the day.
On the other hand, Bruce Muhangi, the National Peasants Party representative, also complained that the party was not involved in the verification process, just like Agaba. Muhangi said the party had requested a list in advance to clearly know what was being printed, packed, and transported into the country.
However, he said the Electoral Commission failed to inform them when the process began, as earlier promised. According to Muhangi, the party was only notified suddenly to come and receive the ballot papers, leaving them unsure of what was actually packed and delivered, and what is now being kept in the Electoral Commission warehouses.
He added that the party has serious concerns about the security of the ballot papers, fearing possible tampering. Muhangi argued that the Electoral Commission has failed to demonstrate independence, citing the continued harassment of presidential candidates.
“As a party, we are not satisfied with this entire process,” Muhangi said.Bruce Muhangi is the official representative of Robert Kasibante, the presidential candidate for the National Peasants Party.
Usaama Sebuufu, an agent of the NRM presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni, said candidates and their representatives have gotten a chance to inspect the electoral materials and ballot boxes arriving at the airport.
Sebuufu noted that the ballot papers and boxes were offloaded from the aircraft in the presence of candidates, agents, and officials, and that the materials were found to be intact and properly sealed.
He explained that the red security seals on the ballot boxes were clearly visible and showed no signs of tampering, which he said demonstrates the integrity of the electoral process.
According to Sebuufu, the exercise reflects the government’s commitment to democracy and gives confidence that the Electoral Commission will conduct a free, fair, and transparent election.He added that all presidential candidates, their agents, political parties, and media houses were invited to witness the process, making it open and inclusive.
Sebuufu said although the boxes were not opened internally, observers were able to verify labels indicating the districts, including Kampala and other parts of the country.He further expressed confidence that stakeholders will also be invited to observe the storage and eventual release of the materials ahead of polling day on January 15.
This comes as eight presidential candidates go to the polls in just 19 days.The race is led by the incumbent president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the National Resistance Movement, who is seeking a seventh consecutive term in office.
He is facing challenge from Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, of the National Unity Platform, contesting for a second time, Gregory Mugisha Muntu Oyera of the Alliance for National Transformation, James Nathan Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change, Mubarak Sserunga Munyagwa of the Common Man’s Party, Robert Kasibante of the National Peasants Party, Elton Joseph Mabirizi of the Conservative Party, and Frank Kabinga Bulira of the Revolutionary Peoples Party.
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