Over one million Ugandans are preparing for a series of coordinated, peaceful demonstrations across all 136 districts to compel the Electoral Commission (EC) to immediately reopen the national voter register. The nationwide mobilization, spearheaded by the Agents of Change (AOC) movement, aims to address the exclusion of thousands of eligible voters from the upcoming 2026 general elections.
According to Dr. Dennis Daniel Ssemugenyi, the Chairman of AOC, the movement has received an overwhelming outcry from citizens across the country who discover they are not on the voter roll. “Over the past weeks, thousands of Ugandans—young and old, urban and rural—have reached out to us,” Dr. Ssemugenyi stated in a recent communication. “They all carry a common burden: ‘I want to vote. But I’m not on the register.'”
Many of those affected have recently turned 18, relocated, returned from the diaspora, or were simply never captured during the last registration exercise. With just seven months remaining until the 2026 General Elections, the Electoral Commission has officially closed voter registration, effectively locking out these potential voters.In response to this growing public concern, Dr. Ssemugenyi has officially notified the Uganda Electoral Commission of the planned nationwide action. The demonstrations are set to involve approximately 7,500 people per district, collectively amassing over 1,020,000 participants (7,500 x 136 districts). Participants will march to Electoral Commission offices across the country.
“We are rising not in violence—but in clarity, courage, and constitutional conviction,” Dr. Ssemugenyi affirmed. “We are rising because no one will cast a ballot on our behalf.”
Constitutional Mandate at Core of Demand
The AOC argues that the Electoral Commission’s decision to close the register violates the country’s supreme law. Article 61(1)(e) of the Constitution of Uganda explicitly mandates the Electoral Commission to: “Compile, maintain, revise and update the voters register on a continuous basis.””That means the voter register should be open every day. Every week. All year,” Dr. Ssemugenyi asserted. “Not closed six months before the election. Not squeezed into a narrow three-month window between February–May 2025. And certainly not denied to first-time or relocating voters.”
EC’s Defense and AOC’s “Hidden Agenda” Accusation
The Electoral Commission has reportedly defended its decision by citing “preparation time” and the need to avoid “voter surges” close to polling day. However, the AOC dismisses this explanation as “lazy and legally hollow.”
“If the Commission truly feared a voter surge, it would increase registration, not shut it down,” Dr. Ssemugenyi countered. “It would hire volunteers, decentralize the process, and embrace the civic energy Ugandans are offering. Instead, they are doing the opposite—silencing voters before they speak.”
The AOC chairman went further, accusing the EC of a “hidden agenda,” labeling the early closure as a “voter freeze to protect the status quo.” He suggested it creates “a controlled, limited voter roll—a manufactured electorate, designed to serve the political ambitions of the incumbent regime.”
“This is not just unconstitutional. It is electoral engineering. It is democratic sabotage,” he declared.Immediate DemandsThe Agents of Change and the mobilized Ugandans are making three core demands:
Reopen the National Voters Register immediately.
Allow continuous registration up to two weeks before the 2026 election.
Respect the law, the people, and the spirit of Uganda’s democracy.
Dr. Ssemugenyi concluded with a powerful message to Hon. Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, the Chairman of the Uganda Electoral Commission: “Uganda is calling. Open the Register NOW.” He emphasized his personal commitment to the cause, stating, “This mission is not born of ambition, but of obedience—and I shall not be silent. Label us what they will—but the voter register must be opened now. Not later. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But NOW. Today.”
The planned demonstrations mark a significant moment of civic activism, as Ugandans seek to ensure their fundamental right to participate in the democratic process is upheld.
