2026 Battle: Opposition Sounds Alarm As Gov’t Tightens Nut On Vote & Exit Order

Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka has reaffirmed that all voters, including Members of Parliament, must leave polling stations immediately after casting their ballots in the January 2026 general elections, a directive that has triggered strong opposition criticism and renewed fears of vote rigging.

The clarification was made on the floor of Parliament after Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda questioned the government over recent remarks by Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba. While officiating at a military promotion ceremony at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Mbuya, Kampala, the CDF urged voters to “vote and go home,” comments that opposition lawmakers say point to growing military involvement in electoral processes.

Ssemujju warned that such statements risk blurring the line between the military and the Electoral Commission (EC), drawing uncomfortable parallels with Uganda’s disputed 1980 elections. He noted that while the law allows candidates to deploy polling agents, it does not expressly bar voters from remaining at a lawful distance from polling stations after voting.

“The CDF has said that after voting, people should not hang around polling stations,” Ssemujju told Parliament. “But the law is clear on who can be at the polling station and at what distance.”

He also questioned why military officers appeared more vocal on electoral procedures than the EC itself, citing reports of radio messages urging voters to vacate polling areas immediately after casting their ballots.

In response, Kiwanuka was categorical, insisting that no voter has the right to remain at a polling station after voting. “I can say without fear of contradiction that after voting, even Members of Parliament must not stay at the polling station,” he said. “When you are 20 metres away, that is no longer the polling station. You must encourage everyone not to remain there.”

The Attorney General stressed that while voters may move 20 metres or even 100 metres away, they must not linger at polling stations. He added that election management remains the exclusive mandate of the Electoral Commission, not the military.

Kiwanuka’s stance mirrors recent Electoral Commission guidance instructing voters to leave polling stations promptly after voting, a move the EC says is intended to prevent congestion and maintain order.

However, critics argue that the directive is not explicitly supported by law. Section 31 of the Presidential Elections Act, 2005, which governs voting procedures and the role of polling agents, does not expressly prohibit voters from remaining at a safe distance. Article 68 of the Constitution emphasizes secret balloting and the safeguarding of electoral integrity.

Opposition leaders, including National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, have rejected the directive, saying it undermines voter oversight and opens space for electoral manipulation. Kyagulanyi has urged supporters to remain vigilant in protecting their votes, warning that restrictive measures could heighten political tensions.

As the 2026 campaigns gather momentum, the controversy has revived memories of Uganda’s troubled electoral history. Analysts warn that unless concerns over election security and the role of the military are addressed, public trust in the upcoming p

olls could face further strain.