The term of the Electoral commission came to an end on Monday this week after completing their Seven year term having been appointed on January 7th 2017 by president Museveni.
The commissioners whose 7-year tenure expired included Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama and his Vice Chairperson Hajjat Aisha Lubega. The other commissioners include Justine Ahabwe Mugabi, Mustapha Ssebagala kigozi, Nathaline Etomaru, Peter Emorut and Stephen Tashobya.
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In a letter seen by this website dated 05th January addressed to the speaker of parliament, Museveni retained Byabakama as the Chairperson of the commission, Hajjat Aisha Lubega as the Vice Chairperson and only retained one commissioner Stephen Tashobya. The other four; Justine Ahabwe Mugabi, Mustapha Ssebagala Kigozi, Nathaline Etomaru and Peter Emorut were sent home and their term wasn’t renewed.
He instead replaced them with new four commissioners who include Makerere University Don Dr Ssali Simba Kayunga, Anthony Okello, Robert Kasule Sebunya and Pamela Etonu Okudi who has been working as the acting Head of administration at the Electoral Commission.
However Unlike for Pamela Okudi and Dr Ssali Simba Kayunga, the other two commissioners are NRM cadres who even contested in the 2021 general elections, Okello Anthony contested on the NRM ticket for Kioga County and Robert Kasule Sebunya also contested in Nansana Municipality on the NRM ticket but both didn’t make it.
They’re set to be vetted by the parliament’s appointments committee headed by Speaker Anita Among next week.
This has left Ugandans questioning the principal of Free and Fair by the Electoral Commission when two of their members hold party interests of NRM which could easily impact on the commission’s decision making process. But even when it had not been them, Article 60 (1) of the 1995 Constitution gives absolute powers to the president to single handedly appoint and nominate members who make up the electoral commission from Chairperson to the Commissioners.
It’s a situation of a player appointing the Ref, Linesmen and the Fourth official to preside over the match himself will play. Museveni has already indicated that his party members are forcing him to stand again in 2026, that they still love him. Bobi Wine too last week while speaking at CNN said he will give Museveni another challenge in the 2026 General Elections.
Our Comment sections is widely open, tell us what you think of the new appointments made by Museveni to the electoral commission.
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