More than twenty former presidential aspirants, disqualified from the 2026 race for failing to meet Electoral Commission (EC) requirements, have thrown their support behind Conservative Party presidential candidate Joseph Elton Mabirizi.
The group includes figures such as Deus Kato, also known as “Common Man,” Lucky Muloki, Kizito Kayira Lwere, and others.
They said Mabirizi’s leadership vision aligns with the ideals they had hoped to advance in their own campaigns, describing him as the only like-minded contender among the eight candidates cleared for the ballot.
The meeting between Mabirizi’s campaign team and the disqualified aspirants was held behind closed doors before the two parties addressed the media jointly in Kampala.
The former aspirants accused the EC of mishandling the nomination process, alleging they were unfairly disqualified despite investing significant resources in collecting signatures and preparing verification documents.
“They made us roam around the country wasting our money and were later disqualified without much explanation,” one of the aspirants said.
Describing themselves as “disillusioned but united,” the group declared full support for Mabirizi, asserting that he best represents their vision for a fair and inclusive Uganda. “We will support him because we share a lot in common,” another member added.
Mabirizi, accompanied by Conservative Party president General John Ken Lukyamuzi, welcomed the endorsement and pledged to integrate the former aspirants into his campaign and, potentially, future government structures.
“We have agreed to work together and make sure we end nearly forty years of NRM rule,” Mabirizi said, noting that his team plans to pursue legal action against the EC over what he described as “ill-prepared and discriminatory” election procedures.
The alliance is expected to boost Mabirizi’s campaign morale as opposition forces continue to court disqualified candidates and independent politicians ahead of the 2026 general elections.