UPC spokesperson Michael Osinde Orach speaking during a weekly press briefing in Kampala. Photo by Shamim Saad

The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has urged the public cut out excitement over the recent opinion polls, saying an accurate poll would be celebrated if it was done after contesting candidates have been nominated.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing at the party’s headquarters in Kampala, Micheal Osinde Orach the UPC spokesperson said the research was only focused on a few potential candidates yet trends may change and more candidates join the field to contest for the presidency.

“Because of potential candidates cited, some of them may not contest while other names which were not included may pop up. We have not even got nominations, there are other candidates that will come to contest in 2021 presidential elections, who are strategically keeping quiet.

“If those candidates come as they are supposed to, the trend will circumstantially change the outcomes of the polls,” Osinde said.

UPC also questioned the accuracy and methodology used in the study by Research World International. Osinde asserts that a 2000 sample size was too small to represent the views of all people in a country of close to 40 million people.

“When the total of respondents is compared to 40 million Ugandans, chances are that the opinion poll may not necessarily represent the remaining people. This is premature and we should be hesitant to rely on it,” Osinde said.

Osinde said the trends can be subject to change since there is a lot of time ahead of the elections.

He also revealed that UPC will nominate a candidate for the 2021 elections.