The Attorney General, Fred Ruhindi, has withdrawn the Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2015, which sought to re-designate Registrars as District Election Administrators and provide for the Electoral Commission to specify their duties. The Bill also sought to provide for the Electoral Commission to appoint Assistant Returning Officers.

The leader of opposition, Wafula Oguttu, said presenting the electoral laws late showed that government was not interested in having the laws in place. He said that it was unfortunate that the laws had been considered and passed when the electoral process had started. The Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, said Parliament had performed well and had done what was necessary to conduct a good election.

Before parliament went to recess on Wednesday this week, it had passed two bills making amendments to the electoral procedures and requirements for presidential and parliamentary candidates ahead of next year’s general elections. Parliament approved the increment in nomination fees from 8 million shillings to 20 million shillings  and scrapped the government’s contribution to presidential candidates. Parliament voted to increase the nomination fees payable by parliamentary aspirants from the current 200,000 to 3 million shillings.

The Member of Parliament for Obongi county Hussein Kaps Fungaroo says that the increase of the  nomination  fee  for aspiring candidates will cause future MPs to sale off themselves to people with money and pass laws in their interest without being sympathetic to poor voters.