The Justice Forum (JEEMA) has accused Electoral Commission chairperson Simon Byabakama of undermining the opposition and threatening the integrity of the 2026 general elections through statements the party says could incite violence and justify electoral malpractice.
JEEMA president Hajj Kibirige Mayanja said Justice Byabakama’s recent remarks on the National Unity Platform’s election monitoring and vote-counting strategies were deliberately aimed at destabilising the opposition.
Speaking alongside JEEMA’s Busiro East candidate Kalungi Masmoos, Mayanja said the party was ready to work with the NUP to campaign, vote, monitor the electoral process and “claim victory” for NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.
Mayanja warned that statements attributed to the Electoral Commission chairperson were unacceptable and had been poorly received by opposition parties.
The controversy centres on NUP’s “Kanoonye, Kalonde, Kakuume, ne Kabanje” campaign, loosely translated as Search, Monitor, Guard and Reclaim, which was launched by Kyagulanyi to encourage citizens to participate actively in monitoring and protecting their votes.
JEEMA said the initiative had caused discomfort within government and the Electoral Commission because it sought to ensure transparency and accountability at every stage of the electoral process.
In previous elections, both President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the Electoral Commission have warned against actions they say could disrupt the electoral process. Justice Byabakama has also previously directed people to leave polling stations after voting ends, a position JEEMA says contradicts democratic rights.
“There is no law that stops a Ugandan citizen from monitoring and safeguarding their vote,” Mayanja said, arguing that the Electoral Commission chairperson’s pronouncements violate established legal frameworks and risk disenfranchising voters.
JEEMA accused the commission of attempting to create conditions that could enable rigging by discouraging citizens from remaining vigilant during vote counting and tallying.
Mayanja called on Ugandans to remain calm and to exercise their right to vote and monitor the electoral process without fear of intimidation, saying any attempts to obstruct this right would be strongly resisted.
While JEEMA has said it will not field a presidential candidate, the party has formally declared its support for Kyagulanyi, citing shared objectives and principles with the NUP.
According to Mayanja, the alliance reflects a broader effort by opposition parties to present a united front focused on electoral fairness and accountability as the January 15, 2026 elections approach.
