The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission Justice Simon Byabakama has disclosed that they are not ready to work in fear of public judgment over illegalities that missed their eye during nomination of various candidates.
His comments follow public concern over the commission’s action of denominating various opposition parliamentary candidates particularly from the National Unity Platform NUP.
Now in his address to the press during the end of year address at the commission offices in Kampala Byabakama notes, they are not the source of the petitions but rather Ugandans who are now vigilant and aware of the anomalies in candidates’ academic credentials.
Byabakama says the electoral laws allow voters to complain about the academic credentials of any candidate and they are at liberty to cross check them for confirmation and clarity.
He however defended his presiding officer who nominated candidates with various errors during the nomination process saying two days of the nomination exercise is not enough, to ensure proper checks for the individual presiding officers.
He also disclosed that many of the candidates who have been positioned once they are petition to attend the hearing of persons accusing them of their shortfalls some of them don’t attend.
Among the issues discovered include many failed to submit the required signatures , some lack the required academic credentials and others forged signatures while others have presented signatures of dead people on their forms.
By Olivia Nabaggala
31st Dec 2025
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