The Uganda Electoral Commission has announced a key adjustment to the 2025/2026 General Elections Roadmap, bringing forward the nomination dates for presidential candidates by over a week, a move intended to allow adequate time for post-nomination processes ahead of the high-stakes campaign season.
In a statement released on Friday, July 18, 2025, and signed by EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, the Commission revealed that the nomination exercise, originally scheduled for October 2–3, 2025, will now be held on September 23–24, 2025.
Justice Byabakama explained that the revision was made to provide room for critical activities, including harmonisation of campaign programmes, signing of the candidate’s Memorandum of Understanding, and preparation of ballot paper samples, all of which risked being squeezed under the original dates.
“If we were to maintain the earlier nomination dates, these post-nomination processes would drastically reduce the period available for presidential campaigns,” the statement read.
The Commission also reaffirmed its commitment to a timely and transparent electoral process, urging all political parties and prospective candidates to adhere strictly to the revised schedule.
Other Key Election Milestones
Under the updated roadmap, parliamentary nominations will be conducted on September 16–17, while local government nominations, including Special Interest Groups (SIGs), will run from September 3–12.
Campaigning for all elective positions, presidential, parliamentary, and local government, will begin in mid-September and close on January 12, 2026, ahead of the national polling window from January 12 to February 9, 2026.
The EC also reminded aspirants of legal requirements concerning academic qualifications, specifically the Advanced Level (A-Level) certificate or its equivalent, as a minimum requirement for presidential, parliamentary, and city/district chairperson aspirants.
Those with foreign qualifications must obtain verification or equivalency certification from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), in consultation with the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB). Importantly, even individuals who had been cleared in previous elections must seek fresh equivalency certification unless they’ve since earned higher Ugandan qualifications.
Aspirants holding A-Level or higher academic credentials from Uganda are not required to go through the NCHE verification process. Similarly, those with qualifications from the former University of East Africa are exempt.
The Commission emphasized that all required documents, including verified certificates, must be submitted at least two months before nomination, either at EC headquarters or the respective District Election Administrator (DEA) offices.
In a note of appreciation, the Electoral Commission thanked all stakeholders, especially Special Interest Group voters, for their active participation and encouraged continued adherence to the Roadmap timelines and regulations.
The full revised Roadmap is available on the Commission’s website: www.ec.or.ug.
