The National Unity Platform (NUP) has extended the deadline for submitting expressions of interest for party positions to July 25, 2025, in response to a surge of aspiring candidates.

Speaking at a press briefing held on June 24 at the party headquarters in Makerere-Kavule, Harriet Chemutai, the chairperson of NUP’s Elections Management Committee (EMC), said the extension aims to accommodate individuals who missed the original deadline of June 23 due to various constraints.

“We have received numerous requests from aspiring candidates who could not beat the deadline. Among the reasons cited are delays in verifying academic documents by UNEB and the National Council for Higher Education,” Chemutai explained.

“In light of this, the period for expression of interest has been extended to Friday, July 25, 2025 at all designated collection points,” she added.

Chemutai also urged aspirants to limit the number of supporters accompanying them to no more than ten, to reduce congestion at the party offices and avoid disrupting other ongoing party activities.

’’The exercise will run from 10:00am to 4:00pm, Monday to Friday. We kindly urge all aspirants submitting their expressions of interest at the party headquarters to come with no more than ten supporters, as other party activities will be taking place concurrently,” Chemutai emphasized.

John Mary Ssebuwufu, the EMC Commissioner for the Buganda region, revealed that the committee has received over 40,000 expressions of interest since June 1, 2025. He noted that the number continues to grow and emphasized that it would be unfair to close the process now, especially with national nominations still several months away.

“We cannot close the process now when national nominations by the Electoral Commission are still months away, set for September,” Ssebuwufu noted. “It would be unfair to lock out potential candidates at this stage.”

Addressing concerns over the high cost of academic document verification by UNEB, Ssebuwufu acknowledged the burden but encouraged aspirants to view it as part of the necessary preparation for national elections.

“As aspiring leaders, candidates must be ready to meet the requirements, including certification costs. This process is both a challenge and an opportunity to prepare for the 2026 general elections,” he said.

”Candidates pursuing various positions should be prepared to bear the costs of document certification to smoothly sail through the national nominations by electoral commission. Though challenging, this process is a vital step in preparing our candidates for the upcoming national elections,” Ssebuwufu added.

As the 2026 general elections approach, many political parties are conducting internal nominations to select their flag bearers for various leadership positions, a crucial process, especially in areas where winning the party ticket often guarantees success in the national elections come January 2026.