By BM
Confusion and anger are growing among independent candidates after the Electoral Commission (EC) announced that they are not allowed to choose their own campaign symbols for the 2026 general elections.
Many candidates who showed up at the EC offices in Ntinda, Kampala, expecting to select symbols that represent them were shocked to learn that the Commission will be the one to decide which symbols they will use.
Some had come with their own ideas and drawings, hoping to be different from others, but the EC rejected them outright.
EC officials explained that the Commission has a list of approved symbols which will be given to independent candidates only after they are officially nominated.
These symbols include everyday items like a banana, ball, boat, radio, clock, table, kettle, and candle.
Julius Mucunguzi, EC Spokesperson said the Commission is the only body allowed to assign symbols to candidates.
He added that no one should design or bring their own, and if the current list of symbols runs out, the EC will create more and continue to assign them fairly.
He also explained that the symbols help voters, especially in rural areas, to identify candidates by pictures since not everyone can read.
For this reason, all candidates must use only the official symbols provided by the EC.
While the symbol issue caused frustration, it was not the only problem at the EC offices.
On the second day of nominations, many candidates returned to the Kampala district offices at Ntinda after missing the first day due to different reasons.
Some had not submitted all the needed documents, while others didn’t understand the process.
There were also those who had made double payments or paid the fees to the wrong government office.
Several candidates mistakenly paid their nomination fees through Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) instead of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
EC officials explained that Kampala is managed by KCCA, so payments must be made directly there. Those who paid through URA were told to go back and settle the matter.
This caused anger among some candidates and local leaders. Godfrey Luyombya, the Speaker of Nakawa Division, said it was unfair for the EC to reject the payments.
He demanded that the EC either return the money or help candidates recover it from URA, warning that these mistakes were blocking honest Ugandans from participating in elections.
Meanwhile, another storm is building within the National Unity Platform (NUP). Out of the 44 candidates nominated so far, 22 are independents, and many of them were previously NUP members.
This has forced the party to respond quickly.
NUP leaders said they had set up a committee to meet members who chose to run independently.
The party said this was to reduce confusion and protect unity. According to Joel Ssenyonyi, the party’s spokesperson, any member who stands as an independent is no longer considered part of NUP.
He added that although the Constitution allows people to run as independents, the party wants all its members to support official candidates instead of splitting votes.
Aisha Kabanda, NUP’s deputy secretary general and the Butambala District Woman MP said they would meet with all former members who had left to run on their own after the nominations were complete.
In Ntungamo District, EC official Latif Ngonzi told reporters that each symbol could represent the message of a candidate.
He gave examples like a table symbolizing unity or a radio meaning communication.
However, he made it clear that even if the symbol has meaning for a candidate, the choice is not theirs to make.
As campaigns begin to take shape, independent candidates are learning a hard truth: you can run alone, but not on your own terms, at least not when it comes to campaign symbols.
