Kampala, Uganda: The Electoral Commission (EC) announced Friday a rescheduling of the 2026 presidential nomination exercise, moving it two weeks earlier, a move that sparked fresh questions about preparedness and transparency ahead of a hotly contested general election.
Justice Simon Byabakama, the EC Chairperson, told journalists on July 18 that following a review of the 2026 electoral roadmap, nominations for presidential candidates will now be held on September 23rd and 24th, 2025, instead of the previously communicated October 2nd and 3rd.
Byabakama cited logistical considerations as the reason behind the abrupt date shift, pointing to the compressed window between nomination and campaign kick-off.
“If we were to maintain the earlier nomination dates, these post-nomination processes would drastically reduce the period available for the campaigns,” he said, explaining the processes as returning nomination forms, printing sample ballots, signing candidate agreements, and aligning national campaign schedules.
The sudden date revision has, however, triggered concerns from independent candidates and political observers, with several civil society actors and aspiring contenders arguing that the move could disadvantage those without robust party structures or resources to expedite their paperwork and signature collections.
Under Uganda’s Presidential Elections Act, each presidential aspirant must present 100 verified signatures from at least two-thirds of the country’s 146 districts, a demanding feat even with a full calendar, let alone a compressed one.
While the EC has not yet released the official dates for submitting the endorsement signatures, Justice Byabakama noted that the schedule would be communicated soon, along with nomination guidelines for parliamentary and local government candidates.
Other key electoral activities remain tightly packed. Nominations for Local Government and Special Interest Groups will be conducted from September 3rd to 12th, followed by Parliamentary nominations on September 16th and 17th.
Ironically, parliamentary campaigns will now begin on September 23rd, a day before presidential nominations commence.
Presidential campaigns will officially run from October 4th, 2025, to January 12th, 2026, according to the revised roadmap.
Political analysts warn that the overlapping schedules and tightened nomination windows may sow confusion and cause logistical chaos among aspirants and voters alike.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
