An examination of the effectiveness of the legal and policy framework prohibiting commercialization of politics in Uganda

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of Uganda’s legal and policy framework in prohibiting the commercialization of politics. Drawing on primary legal texts, judicial decisions, electoral commission data, and comparative analysis of Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and India, the study finds that Uganda’s constitutional and statutory prohibitions against bribery, undue influence, and misuse of public resources are fragmented and systematically unenforced, with no expenditure caps, real-time disclosure requirements, or equitable public funding in place. The result is a legal framework that enables rather than prohibits commercialization, entrenching elite capture and excluding financially disadvantaged citizens from meaningful participation. The study recommends comprehensive legislative reform, institutional strengthening of the Electoral Commission, and full domestication of Uganda’s regional and international obligations in order to restore the constitutional principle that political power derives from the free will of the people.