By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
NATIONAL
The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) called on eligible party members to pick nomination forms for the party’s presidential flag bearer position in the 2026 general elections.
The call was made following the release of the party’s 2025/26 electoral roadmap by the UPC Electoral Commission on May 5. According to Hajji Kazimbiraine Mahmoud, the party’s electoral commission chairperson, the window for picking and returning nomination forms for presidential aspirants runs from May 5 to May 20, 2025.
Addressing journalists at Uganda House in Kampala on Wednesday, UPC spokesperson Sharon Oyat Arach confirmed that the nomination process is underway and encouraged qualified members to participate.
“We would like to remind all members who wish to offer themselves for the position of Party President that the picking and returning of application/declaration of interest forms began on May 5 and will end on May 20,” Arach said.
She added that the nomination process for Special Interest Groups (SIGs) is also ongoing and will close on May 10. In constituencies where more than one candidate emerges for SIGs, party primaries are scheduled to take place between May 15 and 17, 2025.
According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), nominations for Village SIGs Committees will run from June 2 to June 10, with polling scheduled for June 16 to 19.
UPC has urged party leaders and members across the country to intensify mobilization efforts to secure SIG positions at the village level, which it views as key to its 2026 electoral strategy.
The party also commended the IEC for managing the display of the national voters’ register and the SIGs register. However, it raised concerns over delayed delivery of SIGs registers to several villages.
“We have received reports that the SIGs register has not yet reached most villages. This is causing concern and complicating internal party processes for identifying eligible flag bearers, since being a registered voter is a requirement,” UPC noted.
In response, the Electoral Commission stated that all necessary materials have been dispatched to polling stations nationwide, including the 620 polling stations which did not commence the exercise on May 5.
