You Did The Job Well In 2021!! Museveni Retains Byabakama As Electoral Commission Chairperson, Details Leak

President Museveni has retained Justice Simon Byabakama as the Electoral commission (EC) chairperson ahead of the highly 2026 general elections where he has already indicated he will contest again to push his stint on presidency to 45 years.

The 7 year term of the electoral commission came to an end on Monday this week and Byabakama, his vice chairperson Hajjat Aisha Lubega alongside other five commissioners were waiting to here from the appointing authority whether he will retain them or send them home.

According to a January 5, 2024 letter seen by this publication to addressed to the Speaker of parliament, president Museveni has also retained Hajjat Lubega Aisha as the vice chairperson of the elections body. The others retained is Stephen Tashobya as a commissioner.The new faces in the Commission are, Robert Kasule Sebunya, a former MP for Kyandondo North in the Ninth Parliament and later Nansana Municipality in the 10th Parliament.

Robert Kasule Sebunya has been working as Head of the Delivery Unit at the Prime Minister’s Office.The other new face is Dr. Sallie Simba Kayunga, a Political Science Lecturer at Makerere University. Museveni also appointed former Kioga county MP, Anthony Okello to join the commission.Museveni also reappointed former Kajara MP, Stephen Tashobya to the Electoral Commission. He will serve his last term on the commission at the end of the seven-year term.

Tashobya is a lawyer by Profession.He was a member of the 8th and Ninth Parliament of Uganda. He rose to the limelight at Parliament especially when he served as the chair of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.Also on the Electoral Commission is Pamela Etonu Okudi, who has been Acting Head of Administration at the Commission. She previously worked at the National Forestry Authority.

The new Electoral Commission is expected to immediately continue the implementation of the Strategic Plan whose implementation began from FY 2022/23 – 2026/2027. It should take up the process of planning for and administration of the 2025/2026 General Elections.

The implementation of the strategic plan which includes the 2025/2026 General Elections Roadmap, was estimated to be Two Trillion, Five Hundred Forty-One Billion, Four Hundred Eight Million, Eight Hundred Seventy-One Thousand, Two Hundred Eight Nine Shilling The outgoing Electoral Commission had set the polling period for the 2026 General Elections between 12th January 2026 and 10th February 2026.

The new commissioners’ names have since been forwarded to the appointments committee headed by the speaker for vetting.This now means Museveni sent home the other four commissioners who presided over the 2021 general elections with Byabakama.