WAKISO, Uganda — At 18, Ronald Serunjoji can’t wait to cast his first-ever ballot in Uganda’s general elections, slated for January 2026. He’s certain about his choice for president, but he doesn’t know that two other races will appear on his ballot that day: the Wakiso district woman member of Parliament and the Nansana municipality member of Parliament.
His first time voting comes in a political landscape shaped by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has held power since 1986. Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, who challenged Museveni in the turbulent and widely contested 2021 elections, is also on the ballot again.
Serunjoji’s lack of awareness about the other political offices and candidates in his community is not unique. Across Uganda, voters are entering an election season with limited information about how the voting process works or what to expect from candidates. The reason, experts say, is a sharp decline in voter education following years of shrinking resources — worsened, most recently, by the sharp cuts in U.S. foreign assistance.