KAMPALA — Uganda’s Electoral Commission (EC) has admitted to a clerical error after issuing a compliance certificate to National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential aspirant Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, with the wrong date.
The certificate, intended to confirm that Kyagulanyi had met all requirements to qualify for nomination as a 2026 presidential candidate, mistakenly carried the date September 19, 2025 — the same day the EC had informed him that he lacked sufficient signatures to secure nomination.
EC Chair Addresses the Mistake
Justice Simon Byabakama, EC chairperson, spoke on the anomaly, clarifying the situation:
“I must admit, that was an error in typing of that certificate. I can affirm, I can swear that I signed that certificate today,” he said, emphasizing that the mistake was purely clerical.
To qualify for presidential nomination, aspirants must present at least 9,800 signatures from a minimum of 98 districts across Uganda.
Timeline of Events
- September 19: EC notifies Kyagulanyi and NUP that he had not met the signature threshold.
- September 20: NUP launches a mobilization drive, urging Ugandans to submit additional signatures at party headquarters in Kamwokya.
- September 22: Kyagulanyi submits the additional signatures, after which the EC issues a compliance certificate — but mistakenly dated September 19, triggering criticism from NUP, which accused the Commission of trying to frustrate their candidate.
Byabakama dismissed the allegations:
“It defeats logic; how we wrote to Kyagulanyi on the 19th informing him that he had not qualified, and then issue him a certificate of compliance on the same day. It was an error, and it is regrettable.”
Nomination Schedule
The official nomination of presidential candidates begins today, starting with incumbent President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Kyagulanyi is now scheduled to be nominated on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.
Political analysts note that minor procedural errors like this one fuel tensions in Uganda’s already highly contested 2026 election season, with opposition parties closely watching EC actions.
Bottom Line:
The EC admits a clerical mistake on Bobi Wine’s nomination certificate, dismissing claims of sabotage while confirming he remains on track for his 2026 presidential bid.
