Africa-Press – Uganda. More than 1,000 hopefuls have collected nomination forms in just the first three days of the ruling NRM party’s candidate selection process ahead of the 2025 general elections.
By Thursday, June 5, 2025, a total of 1,044 individuals had expressed interest in contesting as NRM flag bearers for directly elected parliamentary seats, district woman MP positions, and the four Special Interest Group (SIG) MP slots, according to data released by the party’s Electoral Commission.
The numbers reveal steady enthusiasm within the party base. Day 1 (June 2) recorded the highest turnout, with 442 aspirants collecting forms — a surge attributed to early birds and strong mobilization in regions like Ankole and Rwenzori.
Day Two (June 4) saw a dip to 250, but numbers bounced back on Day 3 (June 5), when 352 individuals picked forms.
Breaking down the figures, 728 aspirants sought nomination for directly elected constituency seats, 288 for district woman MP slots, and 28 for SIG positions.
Among the SIG categories, 10 picked forms for youth MPs, 3 for older persons, 1 for persons with disabilities, while none so far have sought the workers’ MP slot.
The strong showing of women aspirants signals growing female participation within the NRM’s internal processes.
Regional data points to dominant performances from traditional NRM strongholds such as Ankole, Rwenzori, and West Nile. For example, Ankole alone contributed over 70 MP aspirants on Day 1, outpacing many other sub-regions.
With several days remaining to pick nomination forms, the NRM Electoral Commission anticipates thousands more will come forward for parliamentary and local government positions.
Party Electoral Commission chairperson Tanga Odoi said, “The turnout so far demonstrates the NRM’s grassroots appeal and the competitive nature of its primaries,” which have historically drawn large numbers even in opposition-leaning areas.
The collection of expression of interest forms continues until June 15, with official nominations scheduled to begin on June 17.
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