Electoral Commission Postpones Non-Unionized Workers’ Delegates Conferences to August 18
Kampala, Uganda | The Electoral Commission has officially announced the postponement and subsequent rescheduling of the Delegates’ Conferences for non-unionised workers, which were initially set to begin on 5th August 2025.
The Commission, in consultation with the Minister responsible for workers, has now confirmed new dates for a series of conferences that will build the Electoral College responsible for electing Members of Parliament representing workers.
Addressing the media in Kampala on Monday, August 4, 2025, Mr. Julius Mucunguzi, the Spokesperson of the Electoral Commission, explained that the decision to postpone the initial conferences was taken following discussions between the Commission and the line ministry, which acknowledged that additional preparatory processes were required before the conferences could proceed.
“The Delegates’ Conferences for non-unionised workers at the sub-county level, which were supposed to take place on Monday, 5th August, will now take place on 18th August 2025,” Mr. Mucunguzi stated.
He further announced the new dates for subsequent stages of the electoral process, including the District Level Delegates’ Conferences scheduled for 22nd August 2025, and the Regional Delegates’ Conferences, which will be held on 25th August 2025.
According to the Electoral Commission, the election of Workers’ Members of Parliament involves a structured multi-level process guided by electoral laws and the Constitution. The process begins with the constitution and convening of delegates’ conferences at the sub-county level by the Minister responsible for workers. This stage, Mr. Mucunguzi clarified, is the first step in forming the Electoral College of non-unionized workers.
Once the sub-county delegates are elected, the Electoral Commission organizes elections at the district level, followed by the regional level, and ultimately culminates in the National Delegates’ Conference.
At each of the lower three levels; sub-county, district, and regional, ten delegates will be elected, with a mandatory minimum of three women included. These representatives will feed into the next tier of the process until the national level is reached.
The country has been geographically segmented into four traditional regions for the purposes of the regional conferences: Eastern, Northern, Western, and Central.
Mr. Mucunguzi took time to clarify the qualifications for those eligible to participate in the process as non-unionized workers.
“A non-unionized worker is a person who is gainfully employed and receives payment for their services, but who does not belong to any registered labour union,” he explained. In addition to receiving a salary or wage, the worker must be able to produce evidence of employment, such as an official workplace identity card, and must not be affiliated with any labour union.
Furthermore, all participants must be Ugandan citizens and registered voters, in line with the country’s electoral regulations.
Mr. Mucunguzi further explained that after the sub-county, district, and regional conferences are concluded, the process will culminate in the National Delegates’ Conference, where representatives of non-unionized workers will convene with delegates from registered labour unions. It is at this level that the election of the Workers’ Members of Parliament will take place.
While the Electoral Commission has not yet announced the exact date for the national conference, it has confirmed that it will fall within the official election window — between 12th January and 9th February 2026.
“This is the critical phase where both arms of worker representation, unionised and non-unionised, converge to elect their parliamentary representatives,” Mr. Mucunguzi said.
The Electoral Commission has urged all concerned stakeholders, especially non-unionised workers eligible to participate in the process, to take note of the revised schedule and prepare accordingly.
“This process is essential in ensuring workers are effectively represented in Parliament. We encourage full participation, orderliness, and compliance with the established legal framework,” Mr. Mucunguzi concluded.
The Commission reiterated its commitment to transparency and fairness in the conduct of the upcoming electoral events and pledged to provide further updates in due course through official channels.
Bantu MEDIA 