Campaign season begins as 2,025 candidates eye 353 MP seats

Uganda’s Electoral Commission has officially launched campaigns for the 2026 Parliamentary and Local Government elections, marking a major milestone ahead of next year’s general polls.

According to the Commission’s deputy spokesperson, Paul Bukenya, 2,025 candidates will contest for 353 constituencies representing Directly Elected Members of Parliament, while 640 candidates are vying for 146 District and City Woman Representative positions.

He added that 521 candidates were also cleared to compete for District and City Chairperson roles across 146 local government areas.

“In total, 83,597 candidates are campaigning for 45,505 elective positions, from President to Sub-County Councillor,” Bukenya said in a statement on Monday morning. He noted that the Commission expects a peaceful and well-organised campaign period.

The campaigns will run for several weeks, leading up to the nationwide elections that will shape Uganda’s next leadership at parliamentary, district, and municipal levels.

The Electoral Commission has urged all candidates, political parties, and their supporters to respect the Electoral Commission Act and the Public Order Management guidelines. It also called for issue-based campaigns and adherence to public health and security regulations.

Uganda’s 2026 general elections are expected to be a crucial test of its democratic process, coming at a time of growing political activity and debates around governance, service delivery, and youth involvement in politics.