Thirty-two parliamentary candidates have been successfully nominated to contest in various constituencies across Mityana District, according to the list released by the Mityana District Electoral Commission.
Independent candidates dominate the race, outnumbering those representing registered political parties — a trend analysts say could split the opposition vote and potentially benefit the ruling party.
The District Returning Officer, Charles Rebero, confirmed that the nomination exercise went smoothly despite a few cases where some aspirants turned up without all the required documents.
“The nomination process has been largely peaceful and successful. A few candidates came in without complete paperwork, but our team explained the requirements, and they were able to finalize everything,” Rebero noted.
According to nomination data, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) fielded one candidate in each of the four constituencies, maintaining a steady presence across the district. However, the opposition presented multiple contenders for the same positions, which observers warn could dilute their overall vote share.
“You can see that in several constituencies, two or three people from the opposition are contesting for the same seat under different parties or as independents,” said Richard Lyambadde, a political analyst in Mityana. “This kind of internal competition may weaken their chances and give NRM an edge.”
Out of the 32 nominated candidates, 12 are Independents, NRM has 5, National Unity Platform (NUP) has 5, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has 2, Democratic Party (DP) has 2, People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) has 1, National Peasants Party (NPP) has 4, and Democratic Front (DF) has 1.
Analysts note that the growing number of independent aspirants reflects internal wrangles within political parties, especially during primaries, where some hopefuls were denied tickets or expressed dissatisfaction with party decisions.
As the nomination phase concludes, attention now shifts to the Electoral Commission, which is expected to announce the official campaign period soon, setting the stage for what is anticipated to be a highly competitive and unpredictable race in Mityana District.