The Electoral Commission (EC) is facing mounting pressure from youth leaders and political groups following allegations that it has cleared over-age candidates to contest for youth-specific positions ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The accusations were raised by Sayuni Hellen, the new president of the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD), during a press conference held at the Democratic Party (DP) headquarters in Namirembe on Tuesday August 5th 2025.
Sayuni criticized the EC for what she described as “negligence or complicity” in approving nominees who are above the legally accepted youth age bracket.
“We have already seen candidates, especially from the NRM, being nominated for youth MP seats while clearly above the age of 30. This is a violation of the law and the spirit of youth representation,” Sayuni stated.
According to Uganda’s electoral laws, youth candidates must be between the ages of 18 and 30 at the time of nomination.
However, various youth organizations have expressed concern that the EC has not consistently enforced this requirement, enabling older candidates to manipulate the system and displace legitimate youth aspirants.
“This isn’t just a technicality, It’s a serious breach that undermines the purpose of youth representation and blocks genuine young leaders from entering politics,” Sayuni added.
She called on Justice Simon Byabakama, the EC Chairperson, to conduct a thorough review of all youth nominations and disqualify any candidates who do not meet the legal criteria.
The Electoral Commission is yet issue a formal response to the allegations.
