Uganda Today: Dr. Ssemugenyi’s Agents of Change Mobilizes Over 1 Million Citizens to Demand for Reopening of Voter Registration
By Uganda Today News Team
www.ugandatoday.co.ug | Tuesday, July 29, 2025
In what may evolve into one of the largest coordinated acts of civil mobilization in recent Ugandan political memory, a little-known civic outfit called Agents of Change (AOC), led by Dr. Dennis Daniel Ssemugenyi, has declared what it calls a “nationwide civic resurrection.” At the heart of this movement is a bold and defiant demand: Reopen Uganda’s National Voter Register—now.
According to a statement obtained by Uganda Today, Dr. Ssemugenyi claims to have mobilized over 1 million Ugandans, spread across all 136 districts, with an average of 7,500 individuals per district, who are ready to physically march to the respective offices of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
“This is not a protest. It’s a civic resurrection,” reads the letter, addressed to Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama.
While Dr. Ssemugenyi declined to reveal the exact date when this nationwide demonstration will take place, he insists that the silent majority is now awake and unwilling to watch their constitutional rights trampled upon without response.
“Locked Out of the Vote”
The Agents of Change argue that Uganda’s current voter registration process is unconstitutional and exclusionary. Their grievances are rooted in Article 61(1)(e) of the 1995 Constitution, which mandates the Electoral Commission to “compile, maintain, revise and update the voters register on a continuous basis.”
However, according to AOC, the Commission’s decision to suspend voter registration in May—nearly a year before the 2026 General Elections—has disenfranchised:
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First-time voters who turned 18 after May 2025
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Citizens returning from the diaspora
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Individuals who relocated and need to update their voting location
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Those who missed the previous registration due to logistical barriers
A purported letter sent to the electoral Commision is here with attached in the link labeled “Demand” below. However the Independent Electoral Commission Spokesperson, says no such communication has reached their office.
“We are rising not in violence—but in clarity, courage, and constitutional conviction,” Dr. Ssemugenyi declared.
Electoral Commission Under Fire
The Electoral Commission has previously defended its timeline by citing operational demands, data cleaning needs, and the potential risks of last-minute “voter surges” that could affect election credibility. But AOC calls these explanations “legally hollow” and “democratically dishonest.”
“If the Commission feared surges, they would scale up operations—not shut down the register,” reads the AOC’s public letter.
AOC accuses the Commission of facilitating “electoral engineering” aimed at curating a politically convenient voter roll, one that favors the current regime by reducing electoral unpredictability.
A Rising Movement or Strategic Bluff?
Despite the fiery rhetoric and sweeping claims, Dr. Ssemugenyi remains secretive about when exactly the mass action will be triggered.
“Our lines are open. Join us in this march to demand the immediate reopening of voter registration,” he wrote, calling on Ugandans to “mobilize, share, and march.”
Critics are skeptical, calling it a publicity stunt or a premature movement without grassroots structure. But observers warn against underestimating the momentum of civic discontent, especially among Uganda’s rapidly growing youthful population.
Legal and Political Implications
Legal experts are already weighing in. According to constitutional lawyer Norah Amanya, while peaceful assembly is protected under the Public Order Management Act (POMA), the scale of this planned mobilization could trigger heavy-handed state responses if viewed as destabilizing.
“The government’s response will likely depend on whether this remains peaceful—and whether other opposition figures openly back the movement,” Amanya told Uganda Today.
A Nation at the Crossroads
Uganda’s political landscape is visibly heating up ahead of the 2026 elections. With the National Unity Platform (NUP) still pushing for electoral reforms, and ruling party critics accusing the state of democratic backsliding, the emergence of grassroots civic campaigns like AOC may signal a new, decentralized resistance anchored in constitutional literacy and mass mobilization.
Whether the movement delivers real policy change or fizzles out amid state pressure and logistical challenges remains to be seen. But what is clear is that the call for #OpenTheRegisterNow has struck a nerve across the country.
Key Demands from Agents of Change:
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Immediate reopening of the National Voter Register
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Continuous registration allowed up to at least two weeks before the 2026 elections
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Decentralized and volunteer-supported voter registration
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Constitutional respect for the voting rights of new and returning citizens
Hashtags Taking Root on Social Media:
#OpenTheRegisterNow | #OurVoteOurVoice | #LetUgandaVote | #AgentsOfChangeUG | #DemocracyNotDesign
Uganda Today invites your views:
Do you think the Electoral Commission has violated the Constitution by suspending voter registration? Should registration remain open all year round?
Share your thoughts below or tag us @ugandatodaynews on X (formerly Twitter).
Editor’s Note: Uganda Today has reached out to the Electoral Commission’s spokesperson for an official response. As of publication, The spokesperson categorically denied having received such a letter at the commission.
For breaking updates, follow www.ugandatoday.co.ug and subscribe to our Civic Watch newsletter.
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