Nomination Day and the Democracy We Deserve

By Alexander Luyima | The Hoima Post

Ugandans are increasingly losing faith in the promise of a fair election. The nominations for the January 2026 polls have once again exposed deep cracks in the independence and credibility of the Electoral Commission of Uganda. Reports of opposition candidates, especially those from the National Unity Platform (NUP), being blocked from nomination centres have raised serious concerns that the contest is being manipulated before it even begins.

This is not just about politics. It is about the rights of citizens to choose their leaders freely and without interference.

Cases that Speak for Themselves

Bukedea District: The Speaker’s seat and the silent gate

The Woman MP seat in Bukedea now belongs to Speaker Anita Annet Among after she was declared unopposed. However, rival aspirants insist they were denied entry to the nomination centre, while journalists were pushed away by security forces. Internet disruptions were also reported around the venue. Opposition officials say this was not a coincidence but a deliberate attempt to keep competition out.

NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya said:

> “Several of our candidates were blocked from accessing nomination venues. This has happened before, and it is happening again. Ugandans must pay attention.”

 

The Electoral Commission, however, has responded only through technicalities and silence on the question of access.

Ruhinda North, Mitooma District: A Deputy Speaker without a rival

In Ruhinda North, aspirant Osbert Kato says he arrived with all required documents, yet officials repeatedly delayed him and later dismissed his nominators’ National Identification Numbers. Inside the same centre, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa was smoothly processed and declared unopposed.

Retired General David Sejusa described this conduct as:

> “A toxic culture of fear and manipulation. Why would any politician celebrate being unopposed when opponents were pushed aside? It is an insult to democracy.”

 

These incidents leave voters wondering whether the EC is still an impartial referee or now a participant on the ruling side of the pitch.

When Access Is Blocked, the Election Is Rigged from the Start

Nomination is supposed to be the simplest part of our electoral process. It should be the moment where anyone with voters’ support can step forward and say: “Let the people decide.”

When the gates are locked, when phones are switched off at district offices, when journalists are shoved away, and when officers in uniform become gatekeepers of politics, then the right to choose has already been violated.

As Benson Ekwe of the Public Affairs Centre puts it:

> “An election without real contestation is not an election. It is pre-arranged theatre.”

 

Ugandans did not endure years of struggle and sacrifice to become spectators in their own country.

What Ugandans Are Demanding

On behalf of the frustrated and exhausted citizens watching these events unfold, the following must happen immediately:

1. Transparent reports from every nomination venue, including who was denied entry and why.

2. Full accountability for any network shutdowns or disruptions during nominations.

3. Observers stationed inside and outside all nomination centres, not just at ballot counting rooms.

4. Rapid handling of all nomination disputes. Justice delayed is democracy denied.

A Final Word to the Electoral Commission

The Commission must remember that its loyalty is not to those in office, but to the Republic and the Constitution. The people do not want special treatment. They want fairness. They want dignity. They want a future where their vote counts because their candidate was allowed to stand.

Uganda belongs to its citizens. Not to a select few.

The integrity of an election is not judged on voting day. It is judged the moment someone walks toward the nomination table and is either welcomed or pushed back through the gate.

Ugandans are watching, and they are tired of excuses.