KAMPALA. Panic has gripped various political parties and individuals after the Uganda Electoral Commission (EC) disqualified 11 candidates from the Makindye Division mayoral race.
This in effect leaves the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer Yasin Omari unopposed for the seat with just less than 10 days to the January 15 general election.
On Monday evening ,EC said the affected candidates failed to meet key nomination requirements, including the mandatory endorsement by at least 20 registered parish signatories within Makindye Division. Other grounds cited included the use of non-resident supporters, irregular documentation and non-compliance with electoral guidelines.
The disqualifications followed a formal petition lodged by Omari, in which he challenged the validity of his rivals’ nomination papers. After verification, the EC upheld the petition, ruling that none of the 11 candidates met the legal threshold to remain on the ballot.
The decision by the electoral body clears the path for Omari to assume leadership of one of Kampala’s most politically competitive divisions, long regarded as an opposition stronghold.
The division is currently led by Ali Nganda Mulyanyama of the National Unity Platform, who is not seeking re-election as mayor and is instead contesting for the Makindye East parliamentary seat on the same party ticket.
NRM officials say Omari’s unopposed path to the mayoralty signals a broader political shift in Kampala, a city centre that has for decades been dominated by opposition politics.
Omari now joins Salim Uhuru, the incumbent Kampala Central Division mayor and a senior NRM figure, who is widely tipped to retain his seat. Kampala’s remaining divisions; Nakawa, Rubaga and Kawempe, are currently under the NUP leadership.
Party strategists describe Omari’s expected elevation as a significant breakthrough for NRM in the capital, pointing to it as evidence of changing political dynamics within Kampala’s urban electorate.
But Mr Haruna Ssebaggala , one of the affected candidates ,said the EC decision was unfair and demoralizing .
“ We invested a lot of money in campaigns , and now at the polls ,they are disqualifying us . The Commission wants Ugandans to believe that all the 11 candidates failed to raise the required signatures .This is insane ,” he said