Electoral Commission Releases Symbols for Political Parties and Independent Candidates
The Electoral Commission (EC) has unveiled official symbols for 27 registered political parties in Uganda, alongside 20 approved symbols reserved for independent candidates ahead of the 2026 General Elections.
According to the EC, each registered party has been assigned a unique symbol that will appear on ballot papers, enabling voters to easily identify their preferred political organisation.
The announcement follows provisions of the Political Parties and Organizations Act of 2005, which reintroduced the multiparty system after the 2005 referendum.
Among the parties, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) will appear with the yellow bus, the National Unity Platform (NUP) with the umbrella, and the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) with the raised hand.
Other notable symbols include the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) represented by a key, the Democratic Party (DP) by a hoe, and the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) by a light bulb.
The full list also features parties such as:
Activist Party (AP) – Hand making a “rock on” sign
Conservative Party (CP) – Peace sign hand
Justice Forum (JEEMA) – Weighing scale
Uganda Federal Alliance (UFA) – Giraffe
Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) – Hand holding paper with a circle
And many others, including Democratic Front (Tree), Ecological Party of Uganda (Microphone), and People’s Progressive Party (Lantern).
In addition to party symbols, the Commission published 20 official symbols that independent candidates must choose from during nominations. These include everyday objects such as a ball, banana, boat, candle, car, clock, cup, jerrycan, kettle, megaphone, saucepan, table, and television.
“Candidates running as Independents during the 2026 General Elections will choose from the following Uganda Electoral Commission approved symbols. These will be picked by the aspirants on a first come, first served basis during nominations,” said Julius Mucunguzi, the EC spokesperson.
With this announcement, the EC has set a clear framework for how both party-affiliated and independent candidates will appear on ballots, ensuring clarity and consistency for voters in the upcoming elections.
