Only M7, Mafabi, Mabirizi have met presidential nomination requirements – EC

Only three out of 27 presidential aspirants have so far fully met the legal requirements ahead of nominations scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday, the Electoral Commission (EC) has announced.

EC spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi named the three as the National Resistance Movement (NRM), the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and independent candidate Joseph Male Mabirizi.

Key aspirants yet to meet the threshold include Robert Kyagulanyi of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and Maj Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).

Mucunguzi said that by the Friday, September 19, 38 aspirants had submitted lists of their supporters. Of these, 27 submissions have been scrutinized and notifications issued regarding their status.

More than 100 individuals had initially picked up application forms to run for the presidency. Under the Presidential Elections Act, every aspirant must present at least 100 registered voters from at least two-thirds of Uganda’s districts, a minimum of 9,800 supporters from 98 districts.

Supporters are required to provide their names, signatures, voter registration numbers, and physical addresses to verify their eligibility as genuine voters. The law bars any voter from endorsing more than one candidate; violators face a fine of Shs 480,000, a prison sentence of up to one year, or both.

With only 38 aspirants having submitted forms and just three meeting the requirement, the majority are still struggling to secure the necessary number of valid supporters, while others await feedback as the verification process continues. Mucunguzi emphasized that the verification exercise is critical for ensuring fairness and legal compliance.

“This exercise is not a formality. It is a legal requirement that must be met before anyone can be nominated as a presidential candidate,” he said, describing the supporter verification stage as a key test of an aspirant’s nationwide backing.

Past elections show how difficult the process can be. In the 2021 polls, more than 80 individuals expressed interest in running for president, but only 11 appeared on the ballot after many fell short or had their signatures invalidated due to duplication.

Mucunguzi reminded aspirants that official nominations will take place on September 23 and 24, 2025, at the Commission headquarters in Lweza–Lubowa, Makindye Ssabagabo.

“Those who fail to meet the supporter requirement will not be allowed to submit their nomination papers,” he cautioned, adding that the EC will continue receiving supporter forms until the close of the two-day nomination window.

He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to conducting the process transparently and in line with the law as the nomination deadline approaches.