Electoral Process For Workers’ Mps To Start On Wednesday

Last updated Nov 30, 2020

Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, has on Monday 23rd November, 2020 released the road map for the elections of Workers’ representatives in parliament for the next five years.

Permanent Secretary for the Ministry, Aggrey David Kibenge who represented Minister Hon. Mary Karoro Okurut revealed that the electoral process of non-unionised workers scheduled for between Wednesday 25th November and Friday 04th December 2020.

The process shall start with registration of all workers who are eligible to vote.

Until 2015, the members of registered trade unions that is to say, those from National Organization of Trade Unions (they are 33 Unions), Central Organisation of Free Trade Union (has 10 unions), and Independent Trade Union (3), were the only members eligible to vote.

Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development, Permanent secretary, Aggrey David Kibenge addressing media at UMC

“In the past, the members of registered trade unions have been electing their Members of Parliament but in 2015, the law was amended to allow workers who are not in registered Unions to vote for their representatives in parliament.

So as a ministry, through that amended law, we are starting to register those workers.” PS Aggrey David Kibenge addressing press at Uganda Media Centre on Monday.

“The process starts with registration of eligible voters, and it will run between Wednesday 25th and Friday 27th November 2020.”

Eligibility of Workers to vote:

»» One must be a citizen of Uganda aged 18 years and above

»» Must have a national identity card.

»» Must be a Ugandan registered voter.

»» Must be an employee with a written contract

»» Must not be a member of registered trade unions.

After the registration on Friday, members will have their conference at sub County and division levels where they will elect ten candidates who shall represent them at regional level, but three of whom must be women and the exercise is scheduled for Friday 04th December 2020.

According to PS, Uganda has four regions, that is; Eastern, Western, Central and Northern.

The delegates who will reach at regional level will also vote their best ten who shall represent them at the National level.

“The forty delegates from regions shall join the 43 members of registered trade unions to vote the five MPs who shall represent them in the 11th parliament. So we encourage all workers to get involved in this process.” PS said.

The whole process shall be conducted by electoral commission of Uganda.