KAMPALA, Uganda —Drama unfolded at the Electoral Commission (EC) nomination center in Lweza on Wednesday when police blocked Matthew Mutyaba, a visually impaired presidential aspirant, from accessing the grounds.
Mutyaba, who was among dozens of individuals who had expressed interest in contesting the 2026 presidential elections, was protesting his exclusion from the official nomination schedule. He insisted that he had fulfilled the necessary requirements and demanded an explanation from the EC.
“I picked the forms and fulfilled the requirements. I want answers,” he told journalists while being held back by officers at the checkpoint.
Clutching a thick file of documents, Mutyaba maintained that he had been cleared, but he was unable to produce the mandatory clearance certificate required for entry into the venue.
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Mutyaba was not the only one to protest his exclusion from the final list. Outgoing Kampala MP Muhammad Nsereko was also reported to have been among other aspirants who voiced their frustration.
Of the more than 36 aspirants who collected nomination forms, the EC ultimately cleared only eight to contest. The Commission has yet to publicly explain why Mutyaba and several other hopefuls were dropped despite their expressed interest in the race.
