Bobi Wine, Muntu race against time to gather missing signatures

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National Unity Platform party leader Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine and his Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) party counterpart, Maj. Gen. (rtd) Mugisha Muntu are among the 27 presidential aspirants racing against time to collect the missing signatures for nominations scheduled for September 23-24 this year.

Kyagulanyi submitted a list of supporters for his nomination as a presidential candidate in the 2026 General Election on September 8, 2025, but the Electoral Commission (EC) says they are insufficient.

“Upon verification of the names, voter numbers/national ID numbers and other particulars that you submitted, it has been established that out of the submitted lists for 130 districts, only 80 districts had the required number and the remaining 18 had less than the required number,” Justice Simon Byabakama told Kyagulanyi in a letter dated September 19, 2025.

“In effect, you have not complied with the requirement under Section 10 (1) (b)and (3) of the Presidential Elections Act, Cap 177. Please, be reminded that the nomination of Presidential candidates shall be concluded on September 24, 2025,” the EC chief writes.

Byabakama also wrote to Muntu, saying out of the submitted lists for 98 districts, only 48 districts had the required number, and the remaining 50 had less than the required number.

(L-R) Lord Mayor flagbearer Eng. Ronald Balimwezo, NUP head of mobilisation, Habib Buwembo and NUP president Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi addressing Kampala flag bearers. (Photo by Isaac Nuwagaba)

On Friday last week, Kyagulanyi urged registered voters whose national identity card indicates that they are voters from the affected areas to come to their party headquarters at Makerere-Kavule, Kampala and give them that signature. ANT national co-ordinator Alice Alaso said they had launched a fresh drive to recollect the missing 5,000 signatures from 50 districts.

“Our nomination is on Tuesday, 23rd September, 2025,” Kyagulanyi wrote.

Museveni, Mafabi cleared

EC spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi told New Vision Online on Monday (September 22) that they have already notified 27 out of the 38 aspirants who have so far submitted the lists to them for nominations.

“Out of the 27, two aspirants have met the required supporter numbers, while the others are at various levels of compliance. The Commission is continuing to verify the signatures of the other aspirants and will notify them in due course,” he said.

The two who have met the requirements are the incumbent President Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement party and Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change party.  

Section 10 (3) of the Presidential Elections Act states that a candidate shall attach to his or her nomination paper a list of names of the registered voters required under subsection 1(b); and each of those registered voters shall, append to that list his or her name, signature, physical address and voter registration number as specified in Schedule 4 to this Act (Presidential Elections Act).

Section 10 (1b) of the Presidential Elections Act states that the nomination has to be supported by not less than one hundred voters in each of at least two-thirds of all the districts in Uganda.

“This brings it to 98 districts, making it a minimum of 9,800 supporters,” Mucunguzi said.

Further, Section 10 (4) states that a person shall not subscribe to more than one nomination paper, and no person shall give his or her support under subsection 3 to more than one candidate.

Section 10 (5) states that a person who contravenes the above subsection 10(4) commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding twenty-four currency points (sh480,000) or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both.

Mucunguzi said the verification of the supporters by the EC is an elaborate process meant to fulfill the dictates of the law in respect of the above provisions.

“The commission remains committed to ensuring that the nomination exercise of presidential candidates and all other elective positions is conducted in full compliance with the relevant electoral laws,” he said.

The nominations for Presidential candidates will take place at the EC premises in Lweza-Lubowa, Makindye-Ssabagaabo, Wakiso district.