Govt Directs Public Servants Contesting in Local Council Elections to Resign

By Judith Anena

Public servants seeking to contest in the upcoming Local Council I and II elections must lawfully vacate their positions at least before nomination day or face disqualification, the Ministry of Local Government warned on Wednesday.

In a press statement released on July 22, 2026, the Minister of Local Government, Barugahara Balaam Ateenyi, expressed concern over reports that civil servants, including teachers, health workers, administrative staff, and extension workers, are actively campaigning or expressing interest in local political seats while remaining on the public payroll.

Minister Balaam reminded public officers that engaging in partisan politics while holding office directly violates civil service regulations and compromises the political neutrality required of public servants.

“It is important to note that contesting for any Political Office in the multiparty political system entails the articulation of a political agenda or belonging to a political party and hence, is participation in a partisan political activity in every sense,” Balaam stated.

The Ministry highlighted that under Section 129(5) of the Local Governments Act (Cap. 138), any public officer, government agency employee, or staff member of a body in which the government holds a controlling interest must resign according to their sector’s legal procedures at least 30 days prior to nominations.

Furthermore, Article 176 of the Constitution establishes Local Governments as units of government, making employees within these structures subject to the Constitution and the Public Service Standing Orders (2021).

To ensure compliance, the Ministry announced it is coordinating with the Electoral Commission, the Ministry of Public Service, the Public Service Commission, District Service Commissions, and Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) across the country to monitor candidate eligibility and enforce the law.

Despite the warnings to public servants, the Ministry encouraged all eligible citizens to participate peacefully in the ongoing Administrative Unit Elections and exercise their constitutional right to elect local leaders.