Today in History: Uganda Enacts Law for First Direct Legislative Elections

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Uganda marked a key step in its political development on October 16, 1957, when the Legislative Council (Elections) Ordinance No. 20 of 1957 was enacted. The law created the framework for the territory’s first direct elections to the Legislative Council, moving away from a system that had depended on appointed and nominated members.

According to the article, the Legislative Council had existed since 1920 and first met in March 1921. African representation began in 1945, but Africans still did not have the right to choose their representatives directly before the 1957 ordinance. The new rules set out procedures for elections, voter registration and constituency arrangements so eligible Africans could vote for representative members.

The publication notes that the franchise was still limited by literacy, property, income and employment requirements, so participation was restricted rather than universal. The ordinance led to the October 1958 elections, which filled 10 directly elected seats. Buganda Kingdom boycotted that process over concerns about electoral arrangements and its political position.

Nile Post places the ordinance in the wider transition toward self-government and independence. It says later constitutional developments included the J.V. Wild Committee in 1959, nationwide elections in 1961 and the final elections before independence in 1962.