The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has released stringent guidelines for aspirants ahead of its 2025 primary elections, emphasizing legal, academic, and ethical standards for nomination under the party ticket.
The directive, issued by Enoch Barata, the party’s Director of Legal Services, is contained in a comprehensive 9-page document outlining requirements for eligibility, conduct, and disqualification.
The nomination exercise will run from June 17 to June 30, 2025, with primaries scheduled for July 16, 2025.
Barata stressed that nomination is not merely an administrative formality but a constitutional duty, governed by national electoral laws and internal party regulations.
All candidates—regardless of political stature—must be verified and cleared by the NRM’s Directorate of Legal Services.
At the core of the eligibility criteria is proof of identity and Ugandan citizenship.
Aspirants must present either a National Identity Card or a verifiable application form from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
They must also be registered voters, as evidenced by a voter location slip issued by the Electoral Commission, and appear in the NRM membership register.
For aspirants seeking positions such as Member of Parliament or LC V Chairperson, the minimum academic qualification is the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), supported by verification from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB).
Candidates who followed alternative academic paths must provide a certificate of equivalence from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).
Diploma or degree holders from recognized institutions—including the former University of East Africa—must present certified academic documents.
Aspirants whose names differ across documents must provide legal proof of the change.
Minor discrepancies may be resolved through a statutory declaration registered with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB).
Significant name changes must be supported by a published notice in the Uganda Gazette and compliance with Section 36 of the Registration of Persons Act, 2015.
Barata emphasized that all public officers intending to contest must resign by June 14, 2025.
This includes civil servants, statutory body employees, and members of the UPDF or Uganda Police Force.
The requirement is backed by Section 4(4) of the Parliamentary Elections Act and Section 116(5) of the Local Government Act, with deadlines varying based on the type of election.
Candidates must present formal proof of resignation, issued according to the procedures of their respective institutions, and as interpreted by the Courts of Judicature.
The guidelines disqualify individuals currently serving a death sentence or imprisonment exceeding nine months without the option of a fine.
Also barred are those convicted within the last seven years for dishonesty, moral turpitude, or electoral offenses.
The code of conduct prohibits defamatory or inflammatory speech, incitement to violence or public disorder, false claims about opponents (including death, illness, or withdrawal), use of songs, poems, or images intended to ridicule or demean, and display of tribal, religious, or sectarian symbols or colors.
Barata noted that these guidelines are designed to ensure discipline, transparency, and credibility in the NRM’s internal electoral processes.
He said the rules reflect both legal compliance and the party’s commitment to ethical governance and political maturity.
The Government Chief Whip, Hamson Obua, has been tasked with disseminating the guidelines to all Members of Parliament.
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