KAMPALA —On Monday morning in Kampala, the line outside Uganda’s Electoral Commission headquarters looked unlike anything in recent memory. Among the first to step forward for the 2026 presidential race were not greyed political veterans or party loyalists in well-tailored suits, but fresh-faced twenty-somethings, clutching nomination forms with the determination of people who have nothing to lose and perhaps everything to gain.
For decades, Uganda’s highest office has been the preserve of the political old guard, led for nearly 40 years by President Yoweri Museveni. Now, a cohort of Generation Z aspirants, some barely old enough to rent a car, is challenging that dominance, bringing both energy and skepticism into a political arena that has long seemed unshakable.
By Wednesday, the Electoral Commission (EC) reported that 114 people had picked presidential nomination forms. Fifteen of them are women, and five political parties are officially represented; the rest are independents.
But it’s the youth who are drawing the spotlight. “Picking nomination forms doesn’t make one a candidate but rather an aspirant,” EC spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi told reporters, stressing that official candidacy requires meeting stringent requirements: securing 100 supporters from at least two-thirds of Uganda’s districts, 98 in total, and gathering 98,000 verified signatures, all due two weeks before the September 23–24, 2025 nomination dates. There’s also a steep Shs 20 million nomination fee, a hurdle that could weed out many younger contenders.
The Faces and Voices of Gen Z Politics
Among the most outspoken is 20-year-old Jorine Najjemba, whose campaign slogan, “Open Door New Uganda for Everyone,” promises a break from what she calls a “rude and arrogant” administration.
Pauline Nankambwe, 24, a law student, says her generation cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. “Corruption and inequality are eating this country alive,” she says. Her priorities include tackling graft and addressing Kampala’s paralyzing traffic jams.
In eastern Uganda, David Mugabi, 28, a secondary school teacher, has chosen the broom as his symbol, vowing to “sweep away” entrenched leadership. And at Kampala International University, 20-year-old Voniter Nassanga is building a campaign around the rights of single mothers, determined to make social welfare a central electoral issue.
Other aspirants span the ideological spectrum: David William Magezi on youth unemployment, Wycliffe Wasaija calling for the death penalty in corruption cases, Alvin Mobile envisioning a Pan-African trade revolution, and Sam Koojo prioritizing jobs, healthcare, and education reform.
Some youth leaders question whether this surge is idealism or opportunism. “What appears to be a youthful wave is really a reflection of profound disillusionment,” says Jenkins Kabi, arguing that many young aspirants believe the presidential race is predetermined. “They run knowing they won’t win, but the campaign gives them a platform, and sometimes personal advantage, in a broken system.”
Kevin Nasasira, a student leader, warns that the right to run for office must be exercised with caution. “If youth misuse their democratic rights by playing politics for its own sake, elections and governance will lose their communal value,” he says.
The Road to 2026
The EC recently moved the nomination window from early October to late September to allow time for ballot preparation, campaign scheduling, and agreements among candidates. Campaigns will run from October 4, 2025, to January 12, 2026, with voting scheduled between January 12 and February 9, 2026.
While the youth movement is making noise, Uganda’s political heavyweights are also moving into position. The Forum for Democratic Change has already picked forms for its candidate, Nandala Mafabi. The ruling NRM party, led by Vice Chairperson Moses Kigongo and Secretary General Richard Todwong, collected forms for President Museveni, who is expected to seek a seventh term. The Common Man’s Party, led by Mubaraka Munyagwa, has also entered the fray.
A Generational Crossroads
The sight of 20-year-olds collecting forms to run for the highest office is, by any measure, extraordinary in Uganda’s modern history. Whether these candidacies will translate into real political power remains uncertain. What is clear is that Generation Z is no longer content to be just a voting bloc or a rally crowd, they want their names on the ballot.
The next few months will test whether this youthful surge is a symbolic protest or the first ripple of a generational tide that could reshape Uganda’s politics. For now, they are lining up, signatures in hand, to challenge a system built long before they were born.
