KAMPALA, Uganda — At least 730 delegates representing persons with disabilities converged Tuesday at Nsambya Gardens in the capital to elect their Members of Parliament, as incumbent lawmakers warned their community’s voice in government is shrinking.
The National Delegates’ Conference, convened by the Electoral Commission, elected four MPs representing persons with disabilities. A female PWD MP was elected previously.
The exercise follows Article 78(1)(c) of the Constitution, which guarantees PWDs five seats in Parliament, including one reserved for a woman.
“The Constitution provides that persons with disabilities shall be represented in Parliament by five Members of Parliament, one of whom must be a woman,” Electoral Commission spokesperson Julius Mucungzi said. “The female representative has already been elected, and today’s conference is to elect the remaining four general representatives.”
Unlike constituency elections conducted through universal suffrage, PWD MPs are elected by a National Electoral College, as provided for under Articles 61 and 78 of the Constitution. The college comprises five officials from each district and city PWD executive committee, the chairperson, vice chairperson, general secretary, publicity secretary, and treasurer.
With Uganda currently having 146 districts and cities, the arrangement yields 730 accredited delegates, each voting on behalf of the wider PWD constituency.
In a gazette notice, EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi designated Tuesday, February 3, 2026, as the official polling day, with voting scheduled to run from 7:00am to 4:00pm under a secret ballot system.
“Candidates contesting for the PWD parliamentary slots were nominated earlier during the general nomination exercise for Members of Parliament, ensuring parity with other categories of MPs,” said Byabakama.
Unlike the previous election that attracted 17 contenders, the current race has only 10 candidates competing for four positions.
The contest features State Minister for Disability Hellen Asamo, sitting MPs Mpindi Bumali and Alex Ndeezi, as well as fresh aspirants Achan Joyce, Nyamukashi Eunice, Robert Ssewagudde, Achayo Rose, Yona Waswa, and Kato Gabriel.
The fifth slot reserved for women with disabilities was secured earlier by the incumbent, Laura Kanushu, who went through unopposed.
Before the conference, the canidates raise broader policy and governance concerns affecting persons with disabilities.
Minister Asamo called for amendments to the Persons with Disabilities Council Act, arguing that the current framework weakens self-representation.
Candidates also cited the lack of a clear and coordinated campaign roadmap, saying it had driven up the cost of campaigning and complicated outreach to members of the electoral college. Others pointed to the need to revive regional orthopaedic workshops to improve access to assistive devices across the country.
Incumbent representatives pledged to continue pushing for increased funding for disability-focused programmes, particularly the National Special Grant for Persons with Disabilities, currently valued at UGX 16 billion
. The grant supports groups of PWDs to start income-generating activities.
Joyce Acan Okeny, the Northern MP for Persons with Disabilities, said retaining and expanding the grant would be a priority if she returned to Parliament.
“This fund was at risk of being scrapped, but we fought to ensure it remained. The National Special Grant is more than money; it is a lifeline. I will continue advocating so our people keep receiving these vital funds,” she said.
Alex Ndeezi, another incumbent PWD MP, warned that representation of persons with disabilities across ministries, departments, and agencies was steadily declining, contrary to Article 35 of the Constitution.
“Parliament has grown from 290 MPs in 1996 to 556 today, but PWD representation has dropped from about two percent to just 0.8 percent,” Ndeezi said. “If this trend continues, our representation risks disappearing altogether.”
He proposed expanding special interest group representation to reflect population growth, suggesting that each SIG, including PWDs, youth, women, and older persons, be allocated at least 10 parliamentary seats.
According to findings from the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, Uganda has an estimated 5.5 million persons living with disabilities, representing about 13.2 to 13.6 percent of the population aged two years and above.
Disability prevalence is higher among women than men, more pronounced in rural areas than urban centres, and varies significantly by region, with Lango recording the highest prevalence and Kampala the lowest.
The data further show that mobility difficulties, cognitive and memory impairments, visual and hearing impairments, communication challenges, and multiple disabilities remain the most common functional difficulties nationwide.
The election of Special Interest Group MPs, covering women, youth, workers, and persons with disabilities, remains a cornerstone of Uganda’s affirmative action framework aimed at ensuring inclusive national decision-making.
However, the electoral college model has continued to draw criticism from civil society and disability rights advocates, who argue that it limits direct participation and weakens accountability between elected MPs and the communities they represent.
The Electoral Commission says results from the National Delegates’ Conference will be formally gazetted after the exercise, completing PWD parliamentary representation ahead of the 2026 general elections.
