KAMPALA, UGANDA — The National Unity Platform (NUP) party president, Robert Kyagulanyi, and his Democratic Party (DP) counterpart, Norbert Mao, have officially picked up nomination forms to run for president in the 2026 general election. The move makes them the latest of over 175 other aspirants seeking to unseat incumbent President Yoweri Museveni.
Representatives for both politicians collected the forms yesterday from the Electoral Commission headquarters in Kampala. This will be Kyagulanyi’s second presidential bid, while Mao, who also serves as the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, will be making his third attempt.
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Kyagulanyi’s team was led by NUP Secretary-General David Lewis Rubongoya, who said their campaign slogan will be “New Uganda Now.” Kyagulanyi, a musician who entered politics in 2017, finished second to President Museveni in the last general election. He is widely seen as the face of Uganda’s opposition.
Mao’s forms were collected by DP Secretary-General Gerald Siranda, who confirmed that Mao’s re-election as party president automatically makes him the DP’s presidential candidate. Mao, 58, surprised many in July 2022 when he signed a working agreement with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and was subsequently appointed justice minister. The agreement allows for cooperation between the two parties on various issues.
Mao’s collaboration with the NRM has alienated some within his party. In July, Buikwe South MP Dr. Lulume Bayigga defected from the DP, stating that the party he once knew “was overturned long ago.”
Presidential aspirants must collect the nomination forms from the Electoral Commission by September 24. To qualify, a candidate must be a Ugandan citizen by birth and a registered voter aged 18 or older. They also need to collect signatures from at least 100 registered voters from 98 districts.
