KAMPALA: The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Justice Simon Byabakama, has confirmed that 30 presidential aspirants have so far returned their supporter forms, ahead of the nomination exercise scheduled for later this month.
Speaking to the media at the Commission offices, Justice Byabakama explained that each aspirant is required by law to present signatures of at least 100 registered voters from a minimum of 98 districts across the country. He noted that the Commission’s task is to carefully verify the authenticity of these supporters, ensuring that they are indeed registered voters in their respective districts.
“Our work is to cross-check those names and signatures. Once we are satisfied that you have fulfilled the required numbers, we issue you a certificate of compliance. That certificate allows you to proceed and pay the nomination fees,” Byabakama said.
He added that aspirants are also expected to book a slot for nomination, either on the 23rd or 24th of September, to avoid congestion.
While appreciating those who have already submitted, Byabakama cautioned aspirants who are yet to hand in their papers to act urgently.
“We gave sufficient time since 11th August. Today is 17th September. A serious aspirant should not struggle to get 100 signatures per district. I urge those who haven’t returned the forms to do so quickly, so that we have enough time to verify their papers,” he emphasized.
The EC chairperson revealed that although the verification process is ongoing, some irregularities have already been detected. These include underage supporters as young as 13 and 16 years old, and cases where voters were listed in districts where they are not registered.
“We have discovered errors such as minors being listed as supporters, and mismatched voter details. Such mistakes can easily disqualify a candidate, so we urge aspirants to be more careful,” Byabakama warned.
On petitions from local government elections, Justice Byabakama noted that nearly 100 complaints have been filed so far, with about 30 already heard. The Commission has been handling these petitions, giving all parties — including petitioners, respondents, and returning officers — an opportunity to present their cases.
“Where we find that an aspirant was wrongly denied nomination, the law empowers us to order their nomination. We want to give justice to everyone,” he explained.
The EC has also begun engaging political parties embroiled in internal disputes over leadership and flag bearers, including the Democratic Party (DP), Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), and the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED). Hearings are underway to determine the rightful party representatives for the presidential race.
Justice Byabakama assured the country that the Commission remains committed to transparency and fairness in managing the 2025 electoral process.
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