The National Unity Platform (NUP) coordinator for Bugisu subregion, Fazali Nabende, has called on Parliament and the Electoral Commission (EC) to review Uganda’s electoral laws to reduce the number of supporter signatures required for aspirants seeking local government positions.
Nabende argued that the current thresholds are too high and discourage young and resource-constrained candidates from contesting.
For example, a district chairperson aspirant in Bugisu must gather over 800 signatures, compared to just 10 required for parliamentary candidates.
“These young people who have the desire to serve the nation face unnecessary hurdles,” Nabende said.
“Take Sironko, for example — it has 42 subcounties and over 1,000 parishes. Candidates are expected to gather signatures from across these areas, something many cannot afford.”
He noted that while NUP had identified several potential flag bearers, many failed to meet the nomination requirements due to the prohibitive demands.
Out of four candidates for district chairperson and city mayor positions in Mbale, Bulambuli, Manafwa, and Mbale City, only two—Denis Wanyoro of Bulambuli and Wangila Fred Wekesa of Manafwa—failed to secure EC nomination, citing difficulties in obtaining signatures.
They claimed that some supporters had already endorsed other candidates and that voter sensitization was inadequate.
According to EC guidelines, a candidate for district chairperson must be supported by 50 signatures from two-thirds of the subcounties in the district—for instance, 26 subcounties in Bulambuli.
Wanyoro described his ordeal, saying that while he submitted all signatures early in the week, 40 out of 896 were not recognized by the system.
“They pushed me to rearrange the supporters according to their subcounties. When I returned on the final day, the system was down. I waited until 8 pm but was not nominated,” Wanyoro said.
Nabende stressed the need for a harmonized and fair system, pointing out the disparity between parliamentary and local government nomination requirements.
“If a member of parliament requires just 10 supporters, it is unfair that local government aspirants must gather hundreds,” he said.
The appeal underscores a broader concern among opposition groups that stringent nomination rules disproportionately affect candidates with limited resources, ultimately restricting political competition at the grassroots level.
