The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Secretariat has deployed its Election Observation Mission to Uganda ahead of the country’s General Elections scheduled for 15 January 2026, joining a joint mission comprising the African Union (AU), COMESA and IGAD observers.

The joint observation mission is being led by former Nigerian President H.E. Goodluck Jonathan, who is supported by Shemsudin Ahmed Roble, a Member of the COMESA Committee of Elders, and Abebe Muluneh, Director of the IGAD Peace and Security Division.

The observers have already arrived in Kampala to commence their pre-election activities.

In a statement, IGAD said the mission is composed of 84 observers drawn from across the region and will assess the entire electoral process, with particular emphasis on credibility, transparency and the peaceful conduct of the elections.

"The Election Observation Mission will assess the electoral process in accordance with Uganda’s electoral legal framework and relevant regional and international instruments,” the IGAD Secretariat said.

The Secretariat noted that the mission will be guided by key democratic standards, including the OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), and the International Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.

“The deployment underscores IGAD’s continued commitment to the promotion of democratic governance, peace and stability in the region,” the statement added.

IGAD further emphasized that the presence of the joint AU–COMESA–IGAD mission reflects regional solidarity and support for Uganda’s electoral process, while reinforcing the importance of free, fair and credible elections as a cornerstone of democratic developmen t.