The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) has mounted a last-minute push to secure a place on Uganda’s 2026 presidential ballot, delivering thousands of additional voter signatures to the Electoral Commission (EC) in support of its flag-bearer, Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntu.
The submission on Monday follows a September 19 notice from EC chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama, who flagged serious gaps in the party’s initial filings of September 8. According to Byabakama, the verification process revealed that of the 98 districts ANT had submitted, only 48 met the legal threshold of at least 100 verified signatures per district, as required under Section 10 of the Presidential Elections Act.
The remaining 50 districts fell short.
“This time around, we brought 60 districts—10 more than what they sent back,” Muntu told reporters after handing in the fresh lists.
“We have checked them thoroughly using party systems to ensure none will be rejected.” The former army commander voiced frustration with what he described as a more opaque verification process compared to the 2021 election.
“Previously, a party representative could sit with the EC technical team during verification. This time, that has not been the case. We do not know what the problem is, but we will go through the process as they are doing,” he said.
ANT secretary general Alice Alaso echoed the concern, accusing the Commission of sidelining political parties in a critical step.
“If you are verifying my money in the bank, you make sure I see it. But you don’t take it behind and tell me that my one million shillings is now eight hundred thousand,” she said.
“We have brought top-up signatures for all 50 districts they said fell short, plus an extra 11 districts. And we are still collecting more, just in case they raise another issue.”
The EC has long argued that repeated disqualifications often stem from over-enthusiastic supporters signing for multiple candidates, a problem that slows verification. EC deputy spokesperson Paul Bukenya told URN that “several aspiring presidential candidates are still struggling with the signature hurdle,” warning that the deadline is tight.
Muntu’s scramble comes as the nomination window for presidential contenders opens today, Tuesday, September 23, and closes the following day. His challenge mirrors that faced by the National Unity Platform (NUP), whose candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu—widely seen as President Museveni’s main challenger—was cleared only after submitting additional signatures earlier on Monday.
Kyagulanyi is now set for formal nomination on Wednesday. For ANT, clearing this procedural hurdle is critical to staying in the contest and positioning Muntu as a serious alternative in a crowded field that includes the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and a resurgent opposition.
About the Author
