The Electoral Commission today begins the nomination of presidential candidates for the 2026 elections, with President Yoweri Museveni’s main challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine), among those expected to be cleared.
Incumbent President Museveni will be nominated on Tuesday while Bobi Wine is expected to be flagged off on Wednesday.
In a first for Uganda, all presidential candidates will be placed under the protection of the Special Forces Command (SFC) during the campaign period, which officially starts on 29th September 2025.
The directive was issued by Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who instructed that only the elite SFC unit will be responsible for guarding presidential aspirants, effectively replacing the usual mixed security detail of police and military escorts.
This move is designed to ensure standardised, high-level security across the board and prevent parallel or private security arrangements.
Although the new measure has been widely associated with the protection of Bobi Wine, Museveni’s strongest rival in the race, officials clarified that the directive applies equally to all candidates seeking the presidency.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) maintains that the arrangement is in line with its mandate to protect Very Important Persons (VIPs).
“The Electoral Commission is mandated to provide police security. The SFC is mandated to provide security to VIPs. Every presidential candidate is a VIP,” said Maj. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, the Defence Public Information Officer.
The practice mirrors the United States, where the Secret Service provides security to presidential candidates during elections.
The Electoral Commission, meanwhile, has shifted the electoral calendar forward. Nominations will run today and tomorrow (23rd–24th September), while nationwide campaigns officially kick off on 29th September.
As the race heats up, the presence of the SFC around Uganda’s top contenders—especially Museveni and Bobi Wine—will undoubtedly draw close public scrutiny, setting the tone for a historic election season.
The race which saw over thirty people pick nomination forms, will culminate in the general election on January, 12 2026.
