By Opposition party the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has set a Shs 20 million nomination fee for anyone aspiring to carry the party’s flag in the 2026 presidential elections. The announcement was made today during the release of UPC’s internal election roadmap.
Speaking at Uganda House in Kampala, Hajji Mahmoud Kazimbiraine, the chairman of the UPC Electoral Commission, defended the hefty fee noting that its aimed at weeding out what he called “non-serious candidates.”
“If you can’t raise Shs 20 million for nomination, how will you find over 20 billion shillings to campaign across the country?”
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The fees structure indicates that the presidential aspirants must pay the non-refundable fee directly into the party’s designated account before submitting their nomination papers. “Don’t fear to pick the forms,” Kazimbiraine said “But to return them, you must be loaded.”
Alongside presidential candidates, other political hopefuls will also be required to pay nomination fees, with MPs and City Mayors set at Shs 1 million, LCV Chairpersons at Shs 500,000, Division Mayors at Shs 200,000, LCIV Councillors at Shs 100,000, and other local councillors at fees ranging down to Shs 20,000.
The announcement on nomination fees came as UPC formally unveiled its detailed election roadmap for the 2025/26 electoral season. The roadmap, approved by the party’s Cabinet on April 24, 2025, lays out a packed calendar of activities.
The roadmap outlines ongoing membership registration and mobilization efforts that began in January and are set to conclude by July. It also includes elections for branch, parish, sub-county, and district structures scheduled for May through July, culminating in the nomination and election of the Party President.
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According to the plan, those aspiring for the position of Party President must submit interest forms between May 5 and May 20. Branch-level voting will take place from May to June, while the district and city conferences will nominate and elect the Party President between June 30 and July 6. The swearing-in of the successful candidate is slated for July 9, 2025.
Beyond the presidential race, UPC will conduct primaries for parliamentary and local government candidates between July and August. Special Interest Group (SIG) representatives will also be selected during this period. The declaration of all party flag bearers is expected by August 11, 2025, followed by the resolution of any electoral petitions.
Aspiring candidates for the Party President, MP, District Chairperson (LCV), and City Mayor positions have been directed to collect nomination forms from the UPC Headquarters at Uganda House, while candidates for local government positions are to collect their forms from district or regional offices.
In releasing the roadmap, Kazimbiraine emphasized that members must take charge of shaping the future of their party, insisting that the process ahead would be both rigorous and transformative.
“This is a journey we have started. It is the members that will shape the party they want,” he said.
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