Youthful presidential aspirants have dominated in picking nomination forms
The EC Chairman Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama stressing a point
By George Bukenya
As the road to Uganda’s 2026 general elections continue to pick momentum, by 2:00 pm today, a record total of 78 aspirants had shown interest for the position of president after picking nomination forms from the electoral commission head office in Kampala.
The aspirants who have picked forms so far since Monday 11th when the exercise officially opened are mostly youth and among these were eight women of which two are just 20 years old and are still studying.
This is the highest number of presidential aspirants ever recorded, and the figure is expected to rise beyond 78, as several well-known aspirants from vibrant political parties are yet to pick forms.
According to Julius Mucunguzi, the Electoral Commission (EC) Principal Communications Officer, the exercise is dominated by youthful aspirants who include eight women and 70 men, receiving also John Katumba, Pastor Joseph Mabirizi the 2021 and 2016 former contenders respectively.
“ The fact that mostly younger people have shown interest so far gives hopes to the country that citizens are yearning for leadership and management of the country’s young democracy,’’ Mucunguzi stated.
He also said, “ electoral commission can’t break the law because its crystal clear that the minimum age is 18 years, one has to get 100 signatures of supporters from each of the 98 districts that make a total of 9,800 signatures, while minimum level of academic qualification is UACE.’’
The nomination forms will be used to capture each candidate’s particulars, while the guidelines explain the requirements for a valid nomination.
Beyond the presidency, the EC has also made nomination documents available for other elective positions. Aspirants for parliamentary seats, including special interest group positions, can now download their forms from the EC website. District and city chairperson hopefuls will also access their documents online, while local government councillor candidates will pick theirs from EC district offices.
Mucunguzi urged all aspiring candidates to study the nomination guidelines carefully to avoid disqualification. He further announced a change in the electoral calendar