Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical support they are providing to civil society organisations and international agencies in Uganda to ensure that the elections in February are as free and fair as possible.

The UK is working with Ugandan civil society and international partners to improve democratic governance and support the electoral process ahead of the Ugandan elections on 18 February. The UK is the largest contributor to the multi-donor funded Democratic Governance Facility contributing £28million over a seven year period up to December 2016. This facility works with around 70 Ugandan partners through the provision of funding, technical advice and capacity development assistance. Amongst other initiatives, our funding is promoting the discussion and adoption of meaningful electoral reforms; improving citizen participation and engagement in the electoral process; and identifying and mitigating risks of violence related to the electoral process.