Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) president Jimmy Akena has urged his supporters to manually write his name on the presidential ballot paper on January 15, in what he describes as a show of national support after his failed bid to secure nomination for the 2026 race.
Akena, who was blocked from nomination following a court ruling that he is not the legitimate UPC president, told journalists at the party headquarters in Kampala on Wednesday that he is “still fighting to be on the ballot” and wants his supporters to demonstrate solidarity by writing his name when they vote.
“You take your ballot paper and write the name Akena. They have refused to put my picture, they have refused to put me there—write my name there. That is my message to my voters,” Akena said, arguing that the number of invalid votes recorded would reflect his political strength.
He insisted that the decision to block him from nomination was politically engineered.
“It will send a message that Akena is not someone talking out of the air. He has support, he has a base. By writing my name, you are telling them that Akena does have a base,” he said.
However, the Electoral Commission (EC) has dismissed Akena’s message, describing it as misleading and irresponsible.
EC spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi warned voters against altering their ballot papers, saying only duly nominated candidates are eligible to receive votes.
“That should be the first piece of news to dismiss as fake news. It is disinformation and misinformation. It is irresponsible and nobody should take it seriously,” Mucunguzi said.
He cautioned that writing names on ballot papers only produces invalid votes and wastes resources invested in the election.
“Such a person is telling Ugandans to invalidate their vote, to abuse the vote, and to abuse the resources that the taxpayer has put into organizing this election,” he said.
Akena’s call sets up a confrontation with the EC and raises questions about how the Commission will address any spike in invalid ballots if his supporters follow his directive.
The January 15 election will feature only candidates who were successfully nominated by the Commission.
