Statement by the Chairperson, Electoral Commission on Adjustment of Dates for Nomination of Presidential Candidates and Related Issues under the Roadmap for the 2025/2026 General Elections

1. Introduction

Dear esteemed partners and members of the press, it is my privilege and pleasure to welcome you to this press briefing at the Electoral Commission.

Today, the Commission wishes to update the public about some adjusted dates on the Roadmap for the 2025-2026 General Elections, as follows:

 

2. Adjustment of Dates for Nomination of Presidential Candidates

The Electoral Commission has adjusted the dates for the nomination of candidates for Presidential Elections 2025/2026, which was earlier scheduled to be conducted on 2nd and 3rd October 2025. The nominations will now take place on 23rd and 24th September 2025.

The Commission has made this adjustment after taking into account the post-nomination processes that have to be concluded before the candidates get on the campaign trail. These include: the capturing of presidential nomination returns, production of ballot paper samples, harmonisation of the campaign programs, and signing of the Memorandum of Undertaking by all the nominated candidates.

 

After taking into account all the above, the Commission realised that if we were to maintain the earlier nomination dates, these post-nomination processes would drastically reduce the period available for the campaigns.

The Commission further takes this opportunity to remind aspirants for the various elective positions and the general public to take note of the following key dates under the Roadmap for the General Elections:

Political parties and organisations, and independent aspirants are urged to carefully observe the above timelines.

 

 

Section 10(b) of the Presidential Elections Act provides that a Presidential candidate’s nomination shall be supported by not less than one hundred (100) persons who are registered voters, in each of at least 2/3 of all the districts in Uganda, which translates to about 97 districts.

The Commission will soon announce the start date for collecting the Supporter Forms, along with the timelines for the collection of the signatures and submission for verification.

 

Additionally, the Commission will announce the start date for collecting Nomination Forms for the Parliamentary and Local Government Councils Elections, as well as the relevant (nomination) guidelines.

 

3. Clarification on Establishment/Verification of Academic Qualifications

The Commission also wishes to clarify on the matter of establishment /verification of academic qualifications with the Electoral Commission by aspirants in preparation for the 2025/2026 General Elections as follows:

a. Aspirants for the elective position of President, Member of Parliament, and District/City Chairperson/Lord Mayor are required, by law, to have a minimum qualification of Advanced Level (A Level) standard or its equivalent.

b. Aspirants who obtained the said qualifications or higher outside Uganda, are required to have their qualifications verified by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in consultation with the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) and obtain a certificate issued by NCHE to that effect.

c. Those who did not obtain A Level standard education in or outside Uganda, but have other qualifications, which they claim to be equivalent to A Level standard of Uganda, must obtain a certificate of equivalency issued by the National Council for Higher Education in that regard.

d. Aspirants who have obtained the certificate of equivalency from NCHE are required to establish the requisite academic qualifications by submitting the said NCHE certificate to the Electoral Commission Headquarters or the District Election Administrator (DEA) in the district where the person wishes to contest, at least two months before nominations.

e. Please note, a certificate of equivalency for previous elections is not relevant for the 2025/2026 General Elections. One is required to obtain a fresh certificate, unless such a person has since acquired a higher qualification obtained in Uganda (for example, a degree).

f. For emphasis, the following persons are NOT required to establish or verify their academic qualifications with the National Council for Higher Education:

i) Aspirants with Advanced Level Certificate obtained in Uganda.

ii) Aspirants with higher qualifications (than A Level) obtained in Uganda.

iii) Aspirants with qualifications higher than the Advanced Level Certificate obtained from the former University of East Africa or any of its constituent colleges.

g. Furthermore, the above-mentioned three categories of persons need not establish their academic qualifications with the Electoral Commission in the said period, that is, at least two months before nominations.

 

4. Conclusion

The Commission would like to thank all stakeholders in the electoral process for the support you have given to the implementation of the Roadmap to date.

The Commission particularly appreciates the voters who fall under the Special Interest Groups, that is, the Older Persons, Persons with Disabilities, and the Youth, for their participation in the ongoing electoral programme for the election of Special Interest Groups Committees from the Village to the National Level.

The Commission calls on all stakeholders to take note of the remaining and ongoing activities on the Roadmap and to participate in the respective activities following the guidelines for the said activities.