VOTER EDUCATION: Full list of election offences

📌 Election offences and penalties

✳ Voting on behalf of another person (living or dead) ▶ Prison 5 years
✳ Preventing a person from voting  ▶ Fine sh100,000
✳ Voting more than once is an offence and on conviction ▶ Fine sh500,000
✳ Refusing to have one’s fingers to be inspected ▶ Fine sh100,000
✳ Election official wrongly counting vote ▶  Fine sh500,000

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There are various offences that can be committed by both election officials and stakeholders, during elections.

A handout released by the Electoral Commission last years highlights the offences, quoting from the Presidential Elections Act 2005, as amended, Parliamentary Elections Act 2005, as amended, Electoral Commissions Act Cap 140 and the Local Government Act Cap 243

For example, any Election Officer who knowingly counts a ballot paper in favor of the
candidate for whom it was not cast, commits an offence. On conviction a
person is liable to a fine not exceeding 500,000/= (Five hundred thousand
shillings) or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both.

For the electorate, voting on behalf of another person (living or dead) is an offence and on conviction one is liable to imprisonment of five years (without option of a
fine).

📌 Other election offences and illegal practices outline in a handbook for voters are:

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Election Officials should note the following:

▶ When an Election Officer, an Agent or Observer, at any polling station, assists any voter with a disability, he/she commits an offence.
▶ Failure by the Presiding Officer to submit voting results is an offence and the offender is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 100,000/= (One hundred thousand shillings) or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both.
▶ Preventing a person from voting is an offence and anyone who commits the offence of obstruction is liable to a fine of 200,000/= (Two hundred thousand shillings) or imprisonment for two years.
▶ Any Election Officer who knowingly counts a ballot paper in favor of the candidate for whom it was not cast, commits an offence. On conviction a person is liable to a fine not exceeding 500,000/= (Five hundred thousand shillings) or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both.

Offences by stakeholders

▶ Pretending to have a disability is an offence and any person who commits
this offence is liable to a fine not exceeding l00,000/= (One hundred
thousand shillings) or imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.
▶ Assisting a voter without authority is an offence and the offender will
on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding 200,000/= (Two hundred
thousand shillings) or two years imprisonment or both.
▶ Voting more than once is an offence and on conviction a person is liable
to a fine not exceeding 500,000/= (Five hundred thousand shillings) or to
imprisonment not exceeding five years or both.

MORE
▶ Refusing to have one’s fingers to be inspected is an offence and the offender
is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 200,000/ (Two hundred thousand shillings) or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.
▶ Voting on behalf of another person (living or dead) is an offence and on
conviction one is liable to imprisonment of five years (without option of a
fine).
▶ Selling alcohol within four hundred metres of any polling station is an
offence and any person who commits this offence is liable on conviction
to a fine not exceeding 200,000/= (Two hundred thousand shillings) or
imprisonment not exceeding twelve months or both.
▶ Any person who arms himself or herself during any part of polling day
with any arms or ammunition without lawful authority commits an offence
and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding 200,000/= (Two
hundred thousand shillings) or imprisonment not exceeding two years or
both.
▶ Preventing a person from voting is an offence and anyone who commits
the offence of obstruction is liable to a fine of 200,000/= (Two hundred
thousand shillings) or imprisonment for two years.

 VOTER EDUCATION HANDBOOK (click HERE to read online)

Uganda Voter Education Hand… by The Independent Magazine

 The PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ACT, 2005 (click HERE to read online)

Uganda’s Presidential E… by The Independent Magazine

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party	Prime minister(s)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Edward Mutesa (1924–1969)	1963	9 October 1963	2 March 1966 (deposed.)	2 years, 144 days	Kabaka Yekka	Obote
2		Milton Obote (1925–2005)	—	2 March 1966	15 April 1966	44 days	Uganda People’s Congress	Himself
				15 April 1966	25 January 1971 (deposed.)	4 years, 285 days		Position abolished

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Military	Prime minister(s)
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
3		Idi Amin (1925–2003)	25 January 1971	11 April 1979 (deposed.)	8 years, 76 days	Ugandan Armed Forces	Position abolished

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party	Prime minister(s)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
4		Yusuf Lule (1912–1985)	—	13 April 1979	20 June 1979 (deposed.)	68 days	Independent (UNLF)	Position abolished
5		Godfrey Binaisa (1920–2010)	—	20 June 1979	12 May 1980 (deposed.)	327 days	Uganda People’s Congress (UNLF)
6		Paulo Muwanga (1921–1991)	—	12 May 1980	22 May 1980 (resigned.)	10 days	Uganda People’s Congress (UNLF)
—		Presidential Commission	—	22 May 1980	15 December 1980	207 days	—
(2)		Milton Obote (1925–2005)	1980	17 December 1980	27 July 1985 (deposed.)	4 years, 222 days	Uganda People’s Congress	Allimadi

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Military	Prime minister(s)
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
7		General Bazilio Olara-Okello (1929–1990)	27 July 1985	29 July 1985 (resigned.)	2 days	Ugandan Armed Forces	Position vacant
8		General Tito Okello (1914–1996)	29 July 1985	26 January 1986 (deposed.)	181 days	Ugandan Armed Forces	Muwanga Waligo

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party	Prime minister(s)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
9		Yoweri Museveni (1944–)	1996 2001 2006 2011 2016	26 January 1986	Incumbent	34 years, 341 days	National Resistance Movement	Kisekka Adyebo Musoke Nsibambi Mbabazi Rugunda

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Head(s) of state
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Milton Obote (1925–2005)	9 October 1962	15 April 1966	3 years, 188 days	Uganda People’s Congress	Elizabeth II Mutesa Himself
Post abolished (15 April 1966 – 18 December 1980)
2		Otema Allimadi (1929–2001)	18 December 1980	27 July 1985 (deposed.)	4 years, 221 days	Uganda People’s Congress	Obote
3		Paulo Muwanga (1921–1991)	1 August 1985	25 August 1985	24 days	Independent	Okello
4		Abraham Waligo (1928–2000)	25 August 1985	26 January 1986 (deposed.)	154 days	Independent	Okello
5		Samson Kisekka (1912–1999)	30 January 1986	22 January 1991	4 years, 357 days	National Resistance Movement	Museveni
6		George Cosmas Adyebo (1947–2000)	22 January 1991	18 November 1994	3 years, 300 days	National Resistance Movement	Museveni
7		Kintu Musoke (1938–)	18 November 1994	5 April 1999	4 years, 138 days	National Resistance Movement	Museveni
8		Apolo Nsibambi (1940–2019)	5 April 1999	24 May 2011	12 years, 49 days	National Resistance Movement	Museveni
9		Amama Mbabazi (1949–)	24 May 2011	18 September 2014	3 years, 117 days	National Resistance Movement	Museveni
10		Ruhakana Rugunda (1947–)	18 September 2014	Incumbent	6 years, 109 days	National Resistance Movement	Museveni