With just 105 days remaining until the 2026 general elections, the Electoral Commission has made a major technological announcement. The commission has officially unveiled new biometric voter verification kits, procured from a Chinese technology company, to be deployed across all polling stations. Lawrence Salt has the details from the launch at the Entebbe-based National Tally Centre.
In a significant step towards the 2026 polls, the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, has firmly stated that no Ugandan will be permitted to vote without first undergoing verification through the newly acquired biometric machines.
Speaking at the ceremony in Entebbe, Justice Byabakama explained that the commission contracted a Chinese technology firm to produce the 50,359 biometric kits required for the elections. The first batch of 60,000 units has already arrived, with the entire procurement and delivery process costing the commission 49 billion Shillings.
"These machines will be able to distinguish a genuine voter from a non-voter. This technology is crucial for delivering a free and fair election in every village across the country."
The Chairperson detailed the deployment strategy, revealing that two machines will be allocated to each of the 50,359 polling stations to speed up the voting process and serve as backups. He emphasised that the digital system will eliminate the possibility of anyone voting in another person's name.
Justice Byabakama praised the Chinese manufacturer for delivering the kits ahead of schedule, a project funded by a 50-million-dollar loan. He confirmed that with this technological infrastructure in place, the era of manual tallying of paper ballots is now over.
However, as the campaign season intensifies—with 42 days of official campaigning remaining—today's announcement was shadowed by concerns over political violence. The Chairperson condemned the recent clashes, including a fatal incident in Jinja District last Friday, urging all actors to maintain peace.
The introduction of this new technology represents the Electoral Commission's strongest push yet for electoral integrity. However, with campaign tensions already flaring, the true test will be whether this technological shield can ensure a peaceful and credible process.Â
