Conservative Party Presidential Candidate Turned Away by EC at Nomination Center

The bid by Conservative Party hopeful Joseph Mabirizi to enter the 2026 presidential race hit a dramatic snag this afternoon after the Electoral Commission (EC) abruptly halted his nomination over questionable academic credentials.

Mabirizi, who arrived early at the EC nomination centre in Lubowa brimming with confidence, was the second aspirant on the day’s schedule, following President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the ruling NRM, who had been smoothly cleared earlier. But EC lawyers quietly raised a red flag, midway through the process.

“Upon scrutiny of the aspirant’s papers, we discovered there was an issue that did not come out clearly to conform to the law,” EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama told reporters. “We guided him to go back and sort out that issue. Once it is sorted, he is at liberty to come, and we shall afford him another opportunity to try and get nominated.”

Byabakama, without divulging the precise gap, stressed that the law demands every aspirant be given a fair chance to remedy correctable errors. “If there are issues in the papers that the aspirant can sort out, he ought to be given another opportunity,” he said, giving Mabirizi until 4:00 p.m. to return with proper documentation.

Outside the nomination centre, Mabirizi cut a figure of calm defiance as he explained the hitch. “I have the required papers. I have contested before,” he said, noting he had recently completed a Master’s degree and opted to submit those transcripts. “The problem is that I submitted uncertified academic transcripts, so I need to go to the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) for certification,” he told journalists.

However, sources inside the EC hinted at a deeper snag: Mabirizi’s file allegedly lacked proof of the A-Level equivalent required for presidential candidates under Uganda’s constitution.

For the 49-year-old Conservative Party flagbearer, who has often cast himself as an anti-establishment reformer, the sudden hold-up was a sharp reminder of the unforgiving electoral checklist. 

Before any nomination is sealed, EC lawyers meticulously comb through each file, academic papers of at least Advanced Level standard, a filled nomination form, a sworn declaration, proof of voter registration, seconders’ signatures, and official photographs. A single omission can derail months of political groundwork.

The incident injected unexpected drama into a process that had otherwise unfolded with routine ceremony. His handful of supporters who were waiting to chant Mabirizi’s name watched as their candidate walked out to “fix paperwork” instead of celebrating a successful nomination. They seemed perturbed by the development.

Yet Mabirizi still struck an optimistic note, promising to return before the day’s deadline and keep his presidential dream alive.