By Aggrey Baba
Yesterday, the second phase of local council nominations kicked off, with a tidal wave of independents swamping EC offices across the country, exposing cracks within major political parties.
By close of the first day in Nakawa division, 76 independents had been cleared to contest compared to only 34 from the NUP, nine (9) from FDC, and just two from the NRM. Smaller parties barely registered a presence, each fielding only one candidate.
The same trend repeated across divisions from Jinja to Lira, with former Councillors, defected flagbearers and disgruntled party members choosing to stand on their own. In Kawempe division, Kampala, even as the incumbent mayor, Dr. Emmanuel Sserunjogi was nominated on his party (NUP) ticket, his stiffest challenger came not from a rival party but from a former party heavyweight, Hajj Latif Sebaggala, running independently.
Observers warn that the rising tide of independents could fracture party bases and complicate campaigns, because when the same party supporters split into two camps (one official, and one independent) it is the ruling party (NRM) that gains.
Tensions surfaced in Jinja when angry aspirants accused EC officials of wasting their time and favoring certain categories of candidates. Police had to hold back crowds from storming the nomination hall. In Mbale, rival camps nearly clashed after presenting conflicting claims of endorsement under the same party, forcing EC officials to halt the exercise temporarily.
While nomination centers across the country recorded minor delays and disputes, the bigger storm brewed nationally as opposition (especially NUP) leaders accused the Electoral Commission of deliberately sidelining their candidates to gift the NRM unopposed victories. They promised to gather evidence and lodge a formal petition.
The EC insists that the rules are clear, and candidates must present valid identity documents, proof of citizenship, photographs, and academic qualifications where required. Those caught with fake papers or forged signatures face automatic disqualification.
With the exercise closing tomorrow, the rush is on for aspirants to secure their place on the ballot. But as things stand, the message from the first day is that independents are no longer a fringe presence but a force capable of reshaping Uganda’s political map in the countdown to 2026. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
