2026 General Election presidential aspirants exceed 200

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The Electoral Commission (EC) says it has recorded its highest-ever number of presidential aspirants as the country gears up for the 2026 General Election. 

EC announced on August 21, 2025, that 207 aspirants had so far picked up nomination forms in preparation for next year's general election.

Eleven of the aspirants, including incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, are from political parties, while the rest are independents.

The political parties are: the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), National Unity Platform, People's Progressive Party, Democratic party and Uganda People's Congress.

Others are National Economic Empowerment Dialogue, Common Man's Party, Conservative Party, the Ecological Party of Uganda, the Forum for Democratic Change and the Alliance for National Transformation.

Museveni, 80, is seeking re-election for a seventh term in 2026, when Ugandans will, once again, go to the polls to exercise their constitutional and democratic right to elect their representatives through a general election for the seventh successive time since 1996.

In the 2021-2026 NRM election manifesto, Museveni says in the foreword that under the party’s leadership, the country’s democracy has “deepened and blossomed to full maturity, to the extent that anyone can now dream of leading Uganda”.

“At every definitive stage on our long journey, the visionary leadership of NRM has always championed progressive policies and programmes to steer the country forward,” Museveni, who has led Uganda uninterrupted since January 1986, writes.

The exercise of collecting the forms is being carried out physically at the EC head offices from 8:00am to 5:00pm on weekdays.

Observers say the number of aspirants could increase, with the nomination dates set for September 23-24, 2025.

Presidential hopefuls also pick supporter forms and nomination guidelines for use in collecting signatures of not less than 100 registered voters from at least 98 districts in Uganda.

The law states that a person aspiring for nomination as a presidential candidate must be a citizen of Uganda by birth and a registered voter aged 18 years or above. 

They must submit certified copies of educational qualifications confirming that they obtained a minimum of A’ Level education or its equivalent.

It’s one thing to pick nomination forms, but quite another to actually be in the race.