EC Disqualifies NUP Candidate in Nakaseke North MP Race

The Electoral Commission has disqualified the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate for the Nakaseke North Member of Parliament seat, Geofrey Kayanja, citing failure to meet the legal requirement on the minimum number of registered voters endorsing his nomination.

Kayanja had earlier been duly nominated alongside the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer, Professor Wilber Ahebwa, to contest for the Nakaseke North parliamentary seat.

However, a formal complaint was subsequently lodged with the Electoral Commission, challenging the validity of Kayanja’s nomination. The complaint alleged that six out of the ten registered voters who seconded his nomination failed to append their signatures, contrary to the requirements of the Parliamentary Elections Act.

In a letter dated December 23, 2025, addressed to M/S Ortus Advocates, the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Simon Byabakama, said the Commission reviewed written submissions from both parties before reaching its decision. Byabakama noted that during the hearing, Kayanja conceded that six of the ten registered voters supporting his nomination had indeed not appended their signatures.

“As a result, Kayanja Geofrey did not provide the minimum number of registered voters in the constituency as required by the Parliamentary Elections Act,” Byabakama stated. “In light of the above, the Commission, in its meeting of December 23, 2025, resolved that Kayanja Geofrey was not eligible for nomination to contest for the said elective post since he did not comply with the provisions of the law.” 

Consequently, the Electoral Commission reversed the decision of the Nakaseke Returning Officer who had earlier nominated Kayanja, effectively disqualifying him from the race. Efforts to obtain a comment from Kayanja were unsuccessful. 

Kayanja’s disqualification leaves Professor Wilber Ahebwa unopposed in the Nakaseke North parliamentary contest. Nakaseke North has historically been a difficult terrain for opposition candidates. In the 2021 general elections, the incumbent Member of Parliament, Enock Nyongore, sailed through unopposed after opposition actors cited intimidation and hostility towards potential challengers. 

Earlier, in 2011, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate Moses Kabalema was attacked, and his vehicles were set ablaze during the campaign period. Since then, no opposition candidate had contested in the constituency until this year’s now unsuccessful attempt by Kayanja. Kayanja now joins a growing list of opposition candidates disqualified from parliamentary races across the country. 

Among them is Mathias Walukagga, who was removed from the Busiro East parliamentary race over failure to meet the minimum academic qualifications. Others include Sarah Kyarimpa, the NUP candidate for Isingiro Woman Member of Parliament, who was disqualified after one of her supporters allegedly signed her nomination papers twice. 

Christopher Ategeka, the NUP candidate for Buyanja County, and Shalif Ntanda, the NUP candidate for Isingiro North, were also disqualified after some of their purported supporters denied endorsing their nominations.