The second day of the National Unity Platform (NUP) vetting process for the 2026 general elections was marked by growing frustration among local government aspirants, especially from Lubaga South, Nakawa West, and Kawempe North, as long delays prompted calls for the party to expand its vetting capacity.
Dozens of hopefuls spent hours waiting under tents at the party’s headquarters in Makerere-Kavule, with many voicing concern about the slow pace of the screening process by the Election Management Committee (EMC).
“We respect the work the party is doing, but this process is moving too slowly,” said one aspirant from Nakawa West who preferred to remain anonymous.
“We’re requesting the leadership to add more vetting committees so that we don’t spend entire days here waiting.”
Despite the pressure, the EMC rejected the proposal, insisting that quality must not be sacrificed for speed.
“We understand the concerns of our comrades, but we won’t rush or compromise the quality of the exercise,” said Ivan Ssempijja, Deputy Chairperson of the EMC.
“We cannot bring in people who are not suitable to be part of the screening process just to increase numbers.”
Ssempijja assured aspirants that the vetting was proceeding on schedule and urged them to be patient.
“Today we finalized the vetting of candidates from Lubaga North, Kawempe South, and Nakawa West. Tomorrow, we will handle aspirants from Makindye and Kampala Central,” he added.
Nonetheless, murmurs of discontent continued to echo among those still waiting in line, with some questioning whether the process could realistically be completed within the planned timeframe.
As the vetting continues, party officials reiterated their commitment to transparency and fairness in selecting flag bearers for the 2026 elections.
The process is expected to run until the end of August and will combine internal screening (worth 40%) and ground consultations (worth 60%) to determine the final list of candidates.