The stage is officially set for one of Uganda’s most hotly anticipated political showdowns.
After months of speculation, tension, and political maneuvering, eight candidates have been formally cleared to contest in the 2026 presidential elections, a race already shaping up to be a defining moment in the nation’s democratic journey.
Out of a staggering 225 hopefuls who initially picked nomination forms, only 41 managed to submit them. Yet, by the close of a high-stakes two-day nomination exercise at the Electoral Commission’s headquarters in Lweza, on September 24, 2025, just seven individuals emerged from the political crowd with their names secured on the ballot.
Robert Kyagulanyi alis Bobi Wine and wife Barbie Intungo during nomination. Courtesy Photo.
Robert Kyagulanyi alis Bobi Wine and wife Barbie Intungo during nomination. Courtesy Photo.
Topping the list of nominees is none other than the long-reigning incumbent, Gen. (Rtd) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who will once again carry the flag of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
The opposition front, however, is anything but quiet. Firebrand politician and pop star-turned-legislator Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, returns to the ring for the second time representing the National Unity Platform (NUP), promising a people-powered revolution.
He will face off with political veterans and fresh challengers alike.
Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has thrown its weight behind James Nathan Nandala Mafabi, whose nomination came amid whispers of internal power shifts within the party.
FDC’s James Nathan Nandala Mafabi during nomination. Courtesy photo.
Meanwhile, the soft-spoken but highly strategic Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, a former army commander and leader of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), is back for another shot at the presidency, emphasizing institutional reform and clean governance.
Official campaign poster for Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu.
Also in the race is Joseph Mabirizi, running under the Conservative Party (CP), Robert Kasibante, the candidate for the National Peasants Party (NPP), and Frank Balira Kabinga for the Revolutionary Peoples Party, all pledging to represent voices often drowned out by Uganda’s larger political machinery.
Joseph Mabirizi. Courtesy Photo.
But the biggest surprise of the nomination event came at the very end, with the dramatic entry of Mubarak Munyagwa, the controversial former legislator and now presidential flag bearer for the Common Man’s Party. His late-afternoon nomination brought the two-day exercise to an electrifying close, earning him headlines as the self-proclaimed “voice of the forgotten.”
Mubaraka Munyagwa and daughter. Courtesy photo.
All seven candidates received official nomination certificates and were immediately assigned 24-hour security detail, including personal bodyguards at their residences.
Frank Balira Kabinga at the nomination. Courtesy photo.
Official campaign activities are scheduled to kick off on September 29, 2025, with rallies, debates, and manifestos expected to dominate public discourse in the weeks and months ahead.
Despite ideological differences, all candidates have pledged to prioritize economic empowerment and equality, vowing to address the widening gap between Uganda’s political elite and its struggling majority.
