Record 157 candidates vie for council seats in Jinja southern division

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The race for the mayor of Jinja Southern Division has officially attracted eight candidates, according to the Electoral Commission (EC).

The announcement comes amid a record 157 nominations for councillor seats across the division, signalling unprecedented public interest and competition. The high number of aspirants highlights the growing engagement of the electorate ahead of the polls slated for early 2026.

The nominations, which ran from September 8-10, 2025, concluded with a mix of political parties and independent platforms.

"We've seen tremendous enthusiasm from the electorate this year, both in terms of candidates stepping forward and community engagement. What stands out is not just the number of mayoral hopefuls but the overwhelming number of nominations for councillor positions, far more than in previous election cycles," Flavia Nasaki, the Jinja city returning officer, said.

Among the nominated candidates were Faruwa Kitakule of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and current councillor for Maggwa Ward, Umar Mutengu of the newly formed People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) party, and former councillor Simon Kasirye of the National Unity Platform (NUP), also a former Faruwa Kitakule.

Other party candidates include Fred Mwase of the Ecological Party Uganda (EPU) and former Jinja municipality speaker Abu-baker Maganda Timuntu, contesting on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket.

Independent candidates are Rogers Anjoga Rajabo (ball), who lost out on the NRM card, Musisi Kibugujji Muhammad (chair), the former Walubuka Masese Division chairperson, and Hassan Ngogi (car).

By the close of the third day, 157 candidates had been nominated to contest various councillor positions, including People with Disabilities (PWDs), older persons, youth, women councillors, and directly elected councillors.

Flavia Nasaki, in her concluding remarks, said they faced challenges due to overwhelming numbers, which caused changes in the booking schedule for candidates.

"Due to overwhelming numbers, this affected the time candidates booked for nomination. We also received those who did not make any booking, which caused us some changes, but still, we managed to complete the process peacefully," she said.

She noted that verification of candidates and their supporters was conducted online to ensure they are from the respective electoral areas. However, this process was stalled by some candidates who presented incorrect National Identification Numbers (NIN), which required time to verify and correct.

Lidya Namuwase, a political analyst, said the high number of contestants, particularly at the council level, is a sign of deepening grassroots democracy and growing public interest in local governance. She cautioned the Electoral Commission to ensure a fair, transparent, and peaceful process.

"With the nomination phase at lower councils now closed, we expect the EC to intensify voter education efforts ahead of the campaigns, which will officially kick off after a harmonised programme," she said.