EC confirms new dates for 2026 elections

21 October 2025, 9:13 pm

By Ronald Ssemagonja

Following the successful nomination of presidential candidates last month, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, today reconfirmed that the nomination exercise for Members of Parliament will take place tomorrow and Thursday at the Commission headquarters in Kampala.

Justice Byabakama further announced that the polling day for the President and Members of Parliament, excluding Army representatives, will be held on January 15, 2026, while campaigns will officially end on January 13, 2026. Previously, campaigns were scheduled to end on January 12, with polling on January 14, 2026.

The Chairperson reminded all aspiring Members of Parliament to remain disciplined and to strictly follow the issued guidelines. “Aspiring Members of Parliament are required to pay a non-refundable fee of UGX 3 million to any Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)-designated bank. A candidate must be a registered voter and a citizen of Uganda, possess at least a Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) or its equivalent, have two seconders, and collect 10 signatures from eligible voters in the constituency they intend to represent,” Justice Byabakama stated.

He noted that a total of 353 direct Members of Parliament and 146 district women representatives will be elected, along with five youth and five workers’ representatives.

On the voters’ register, Justice Byabakama revealed that it will be ready by the end of this month.

Elections for special interest groups will also be conducted tomorrow and Thursday. Nominations for these groups will be held at the party headquarters in Kampala and other gazetted premises designated by the Commission. For instance, Kampala nominations will take place at Ntinda and the EC headquarters, while Wakiso nominations will be held at the District Headquarters.

The Commission emphasized that campaigns will officially begin on November 10, 2025, and warned that no candidate is allowed to campaign before that date. However, aspiring candidates may address voters in gazetted areas after nomination and are limited to two vehicles during campaign activities.

During the press conference, agents from various political parties urged the Commission to uphold transparency and legality in the process. Michael Kabaziguruka, representing the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), called on the Electoral Commission to not merely issue statements but act in accordance with the law. Nelson Agaba, from the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), urged the Commission to thoroughly verify academic documents of aspirants to prevent unqualified individuals from being nominated.

In response, Justice Byabakama clarified that the Commission has no mandate to verify academic qualifications but encouraged the public to report any candidate whose credentials may be in doubt.

Moses Byaruhanga, representing the ruling NRM party, said they are comfortable with the revised election dates.