Published on 10/12/2025
Tensions around candidate nominations have sharpened as the Electoral Commission (EC) removes a growing list of would-be MPs from the January 15, 2026 ballot, a development that observers say underscores how strictly the commission is interpreting nomination rules and how vulnerable many campaigns are to technical challenges.
On December 9, 2025 the EC wrote to confirm that Mathias Walukagga, the Kyengera town mayor and popular musician who had been nominated to contest Busiro East on a National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, has been denominated after the commission concluded the academic testimonial he submitted had already expired by the time of nomination.
EC chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama said the expired documents meant Walukagga “lacked the requisite minimum formal qualifications for the elective office of Member of Parliament as stipulated under Section 4(1)(c) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, Cap 177.”
Days earlier the EC removed Patrick Mutabwire Kyamukaate from the race for the Older Persons’ seat (Western Region), finding he did not meet the statutory minimum number of valid supporters on his nomination papers.
The commission’s review found four of the names on Mutabwire’s supporters list had already been used on rival Jacqueline Mbabazi’s nomination; removing them left him with only six validated supporters, short of the statutory minimum of ten. Mutabwire has argued that some signatures were collected by his coordinator and contested the findings, but the EC said he failed to produce evidence to rebut the duplication. Mbabazi has since been declared unopposed.
Other candidates who have seen nominations nullified in recent weeks include Elizabeth Kakwanzi (Western Region Youth MP contest), whose nomination the EC cancelled over duplicate or irregular supporter details, and Mercy Rebecca Abedican (Nebbi District woman representative), removed over invalid supporter signatures and conflicting membership issues flagged in petitions to the commission. Both rulings were signed by Justice Byabakama and communicated in formal EC determinations.
The commission’s actions turn on technical rules set out in the Parliamentary Elections Act. Section 4(1)(c) sets out the minimum formal qualifications required to be an MP, while the nomination procedures in Section 28 require properly completed nomination papers supported by the required number of valid endorsers and supporting documents.
If supporting documents (such as education certificates or special-interest group clearances) are invalid, expired or if supporter names are duplicated across candidates, the EC says it has no discretion but to void the nomination.
EC officials stress the rulings are procedural, not political. “A supporter cannot appear on the nomination papers of more than one candidate for the same seat,” the commission has said in explaining a number of denomination decisions; where that happens, the offending names are struck out and a candidate may fall below the minimum threshold.
But critics say the rulings expose a system where small clerical defects or disputed signatures can abruptly end a campaign, and where well-resourced petitions or strategic complaints can be used to clear a path for opponents.
Walukagga’s camp says the musician-turned-politician will explore legal options to challenge the EC decision; other disqualified candidates have also signalled protests or legal actions. James Atwiine (King James Nkizamagara), who had sought to challenge State Minister Bright Rwamirama in Isingiro, staged a public protest at UNEB offices, accusing officials of mishandling or misattributing his academic index number used in the EC’s verification.
The spate of denomination decisions is also feeding broader unease about competitiveness in the run-up to the polls. EC data and media analyses show a number of seats where candidates were declared unopposed, including high-profile figures such as Speaker Anita Among and Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, prompting debate about whether opposition parties are failing to field candidates or whether nomination technicalities are being used to thin the field. Analysts warn that multiple unopposed declarations and repeated denomination decisions could erode public confidence in the fairness of the contest.
Legal challenges and party complaints are likely to multiply in the coming days as parties and aspirants decide whether to accept EC rulings or test them in court. Observers say the biggest questions are (1) whether the EC’s strict interpretation of documentary and supporter rules will hold up under judicial review; and (2) whether the pattern of denominations disproportionately affects opposition candidates or is applied evenly across the board.
