Uganda’s Electoral Commission has received 60,000 biometric voter verification kits from local firm Simi Valley Technologies ahead of the 2026 general elections. The devices will use fingerprint and facial recognition to curb fraud and enforce the one-person, one-vote rule. EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama said the kits will improve transparency and credibility as Uganda prepares for presidential, parliamentary, and local polls starting January 15.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni congratulated Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on her re-election, citing ‘Tanzanians’ confidence in her leadership’. He pledged to strengthen cooperation in trade, infrastructure, and regional integration. His message followed Samia’s swearing-in for a new five-year term in Dodoma after a contested election marked by unrest and opposition complaints. Samia vowed to promote peace and economic stability, while regional leaders and organizations called for calm and continued democratic dialogue.

Presidential candidate Mubarak Munyagwa of the Common Man’s Party pledged to expel all white foreigners from Uganda within 48 hours if elected. Speaking at a rally in Kabale, he promised free education, school meals, and medical care for Ugandans. Munyagwa urged youth to marry and raise families, criticized government programs for favoring elites, and vowed to abolish certain district offices to create a government focused on ordinary citizens.

President Museveni pledged to improve roads and health services in Uganda’s Teso sub-region during campaign rallies in Serere and Kalaki districts. He announced funding for major road upgrades, including Kumi–Ngora–Serere–Kagwara and Katine–Kalaki–Overo, and plans to elevate health centers to hospitals. Museveni emphasized continued investment in infrastructure, education, and healthcare, while urging residents to embrace unity, commercial farming, and government programs to boost development and service delivery.

President Yoweri Museveni has commissioned the construction of Hiinga Karis Medical Hospital and Karis Nursing University in Magere, near Gayaza and Wakiso. The facility will include 125 beds, an 18-bed ICU, four maternity suites, surgical theatres, diagnostic labs, and emergency services such as MRIs and scans. The hospital is expected to employ over 1,000 medical staff and train nurses, enhancing Uganda’s healthcare infrastructure and providing employment opportunities in the region.