KAMPALA. After pushing National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential flag bearer Robert Kyagulanyi aka back to the field to collect more signatures , the Electoral Commission (EC) has also done the same to Rtd Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntua , the card holder for Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) .
In a letter dated September 19, 2025, EC chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama informed Muntu that only 48 out of 98 districts submitted had the required number of nominators, with the remaining 50 falling short.
The EC said it had verified voter names, National ID numbers and other particulars and attached detailed results of the verification exercise.
“This means you have not complied with the requirement under Section 10 (1)(b) and (3) of the Presidential Elections Act, Cap 177,” Byabakama wrote, reminding Muntu that presidential nominations will close on September 24, 2025.
Gen Muntu, who attempts to give a second short at the presidency is not the only candidate to face this setback. The EC also on Friday rejected the list of supporters submitted by Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, citing similar deficiencies in several districts.
The EC asked Bobi Wine to gather more signatures in the excess of 18,000 from 18 districts to meet the legal threshold of 98,000 signatures..
The NUP principal accused the commission of deliberately frustrating his presidential bid and vowed to resubmit more signatures before the deadline.
Under Ugandan law, a presidential candidate mst present at least 100 registered voters from at least two-thirds of Uganda’s districts to qualify for nomination.
Failure to meet this threshold disqualifies a candidate from appearing on the ballot unless corrected before the deadline.
The development adds to the intense race ahead of the 2026 General Elections, where opposition parties have accused the EC of applying strict standards selectively.
Gen. Muntu, a former army commander and ex-president of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), was by Saturday morning yet to issue a public response, but now faces a tight window to submit additional signatures.
The final list of presidential candidates will be announced after the nomination period closes next week.(September 23-24) . According to EC records, at least 30 presidential hopefuls had returned nomination documents to EC by Thursday .
It remains to be seen whether both Kyagulanyi and Gen. Muntu will raise the required signatures and be able to appear on the ballot paper.
