Comprehensive Reforms to Regulate Campaign Finance in Uganda

This policy brief addresses the critical need for comprehensive campaign finance reforms in Uganda to enhance transparency, accountability, and fairness in electoral processes for democratic renewal. It draws upon the extensive research conducted by the Alliance for Campaign Finance Monitoring (ACFIM) on campaign financing during the 2021 general elections.

Overview

A comprehensive report by the Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM) pertaining to campaign financing during the 2021 Uganda general elections unveiled a striking revelation. The political parties and candidates who actively participated in this electoral process displayed unprecedented extravagance.

To put this into perspective, the 2016 general elections witnessed an approximate expenditure of UGX 2.4 trillion ($716 million). However, the 2021 general elections exceeded this amount significantly, with total expenditure reaching UGX 3.983 trillion ($1.091 billion). This dramatic escalation in campaign expenditure has underscored the deepening commercialization of politics, a topic of growing concern that now dominates discussions within Uganda’s political landscape at various levels.