JEEMA says to decide on who to back in 2026 General Election presidential race

________________

The Justice Forum (JEEMA) party says is going to decide on which presidential candidate to support in the 2026 General Election.

This is after the party's national executive committee resolved not to field a presidential candidate in this electoral cycle.

"Instead, we will focus our resources on parliamentary and sub-national elections, including district, municipality and sub-county levels," party spokesperson Dr Swaib Kaggwa Nsereko said in a statement on Monday (September 22).

He noted that while JEEMA has a rich history of participating in presidential contests, notably challenging President Yoweri Museveni in the 1996 and 2001 elections, it will use this experience to inform its analysis of opposition candidates' manifestos. 

"We aim to identify the candidate whose vision aligns closest with ours and guide Ugandans and party members accordingly," Nsereko said.

JEEMA invited members of the public to contest on its ticket for positions such as Parliament and parish councillorship, where the Electoral Commission (EC) has not yet nominated candidates.

"We congratulate JEEMA candidates who have successfully nominated and appreciate the public's warm reception and promise of support for our candidates' success," Nsereko said.

The Presidential nominations are scheduled for September 23-24 this year at the EC's new headquarters in Makindye-Ssabagabo, Wakiso district.

Over 30 presidential aspirants have returned nomination forms to the EC, but as of Monday morning, only two had been cleared. 

The two cleared are incumbent President Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement party and Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change party.

The rest are yet to meet the required number of supporters for their nominations.