I’m a worker you can rely on, says nominated FDC presidential flag-bearer Nandala Mafabi

By Umaru Kashaka, Mary Karugaba and Paul Kiwuuwa

KAMPALA - Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party presidential candidate in the 2026 General Election, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, has described himself as a worker dedicated to serving Ugandans.

In a brief address to the nation on Wednesday (September 24), shortly after being nominated, Nandala, 59, couldn’t resist blowing his own trumpet.

“I’m a worker and a servant you can rely on to have better lives than you have now,” he said, after highlighting his educational qualifications and work experience.

This was at the new Electoral Commission (EC) headquarters at Lubowa-Lweza in Makindye-Ssabagabo municipality, Wakiso district, where the second and last day of the presidential nomination exercise is taking place.

Poverty levels

The freshly nominated candidate argued that poverty levels are high in the country.
“Poverty is how you see your life,” Nandala, who was wearing a navy-blue suit and a striped blue tie, emphasised.

He arrived at the EC head office in a Nissan Patrol with his wife, Florence at exactly 9:45am and was welcomed by a group of FDC leaders, including national chairperson Jack Sabiiti, who proposed his nomination.

He was first taken to the waiting tent set up near the main entrance, where he and his team sat for about 20 minutes before they were led into the giant tent for nomination.

Nandala used this time in the waiting tent to arrange his nomination papers with his official agent, Jonathan Ebwalu, the Soroti West MP. The seconder for his nomination was Florence Kabugho, the Kasese district Woman MP.

The EC technical team took about 20 minutes, meticulously verifying every element of his nomination documents as guided by the Presidential Elections Act.

And at exactly 10:24am EC chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama declared him a duly nominated presidential candidate in next year’s general election, having fulfilled all the requirements as stipulated in the Presidential Elections Act.

His team received this with cheers and a standing ovation as they chanted the FDC slogan “One Uganda, One People” while flashing the V-sign.

The team included former FDC presidential candidate Eng. Patrick Amuriat, who bowed out of the party presidential candidate race for Nandala.

Byabakama congratulated Nandala and said he arrived as a presidential aspirant and is leaving as a candidate.

The EC boss and his team then moved out of the tent with the candidate and handed him a security pick-up truck with security personnel.

New Vision Online heard that each presidential candidate was given a minimum of 16 security officers, depending on the need.  

Earlier, the Police had blocked Nandala’s team from accessing the EC grounds after arriving with more than the permitted number of people.

However, a consensus was later reached on this matter, and only two vehicles were allowed to enter.