Why no woman qualify to run for President for Uganda?

Na August last year, Ugandan lawyer and activist Yvonne Mpambara,34, carry nomination forms fill am so she go fit to run for her kontri presidential election.

Her campaign bin focus around inclusive govment, improved delivery of service and legal reform.

But for September 24, 2025 she find out say dme no clear am to contest. Na so Mpambara para accuse di Uganda Electoral Commission say dem dey comot female candidates from di ballot.

She tok say, "na di system gan-gan I direct blame give".

Adding say, "we bin get three capable women wey suppose enta ballot but we feel say di systemn do frustrate di three of us Win bin no fit make am and I also believe say di vetting process of di Electoral Commission no dey pure".

Wen Uganda go vote on Thursday na only men go dey di list of candidates.

Dem include current President Yoweri Museveni, 81, wey dey run for im seventh term in office afta 40 years for power.

Im main opponent na di musiciam wey turn politician 43 year old Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu wey dey popularly known as Bobi Wine.

Di oda six presidential candidates na Frank Bulira, Robert Kasibante, Joseph Mabirizi, Nandala Mafabi, Mugisha Muntu, and Mubarak Munyagwa. All of dme na man dem be.

Di Elecotral Commission ansa Mpambara accuse for dem through dia tok-tok pesin Julius Mucunguzi wey say di joinbodi bin follow clear guidelines for id nomination and vetting process.

E tok say, "if no female candidate carry herself come and meet all di requirements successfully, di commission no go bend dia riles. E dey possible to get all female race, all male race or mixed one".

According to di Electoral Commission, anyone wey wan run for president must be Ugandan by birth, at least 18 years old, and must be registered voter.

Presidential aspirants also need to pay nomination fee wey cost 20 million Uganda shillings (about £4,200).

For dem to clear pesin to run, di candidate for don present at least 100 signatures from at least two-thirds of di kontri 146 districts.

Yvonne say di electoral commision no comot clear to tell her why dem reject her forms.

She tok say, "when I bin try to submit my papers, dem say na fake and forgery without say dem tok wetin dia criteria be as to how dem reason say na fake".

Uganda bin start ot dey run multi-party politics for 2005 afta oen referendum wia ova 90 percent of voters say na so dme want make e run.

Di last four elections wey dem don hold since dat time don get at least one female presidential candidate.

Former First Lady Miria Kalule Obote bin contest for 2006; Beti Kamya bin run for 2011; Maureen Kyalya run for 2016 and for 2021 na Nancy Kalembe Linda be di only female candidate.

Analysts tok say dis one wey woman no dey un for dis current election, e don reduce moral of di efforts to increase women participation for politics and democratic governance.

But even wit all dis ones, Uganda still be one of di African kontris wey get beta number of women for leaderhip positions. Di kontri present Speaker for Parliament, Vice Presidnet and Prime Minister, all fo dem na women and 45% of di cabinet na women. Plus, dem reserve 146 parliamentary seats for district women representatives.

Uganda youth vote

No be only women don chop ela from dis presidential race.

Dis election dey as di kontri dey fce economic strain and redice in institutional trusts. Many young Ugandans no dey look di election as just political event but to test weda di system fit deliver inclusion and opportunity.

Ova 75% of Uganda pipo dey under 30 years and many young pipo don dey hala for economic empowerment and inclusivity.

Twenty-eight-year-old Gloria Nawanyanga wan rep di youth for legislator for di Central Uganda region.

She say, "if young pipo dey economically empowered, Uganda fit enta middle income status or even turn one of di most developed kontris for world for short time bicos we be majority".

Political financing don cause plenti pipo to chook eye as critics call out wetin dem call di commercialization of politics. Yvonne Mpambara dey warn say di way wey election dey cost mean say young pipo and oda groups fit no participate.

She tok say, "I no think say any of us go fit sustain elections for future. Politics don cost like mad, and na discrimination from start. How pesin go fit afford three billion Uganda shillings to contest for Member of Parliament?"

Political financing has also come under scrutiny, with critics condemning the commercialization of politics. Yvonne Mpambara warns that the high cost of elections risks locking out young people and other marginalized groups.

"I don't think any of us will be able to sustain elections in the future. Politics has become extremely expensive, and that's discrimination from the start. How can one afford three billion Uganda shillings to run for Member of Parliament?" she asks.

Worldwide, youth participation for politics don shift wella. New wave of Gen Z activism don see young pipo dey do protest to ask for beta governance, accountabiltiy and job creations for kontris like Kenya, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Nepal and Morocco.

According to di Uganda 2024 censis, youth unemployment for di kontri still dey high as na only 9.5 million pipo dey employed out of di working age population of 25.1 million.

President Museveni for im campaign ask young pipo to use di kontri peace and stability and use goment youth lifelihood programs wey dey ground. E also say make dem shift from waiting for goment work to start to dey engage for work creation.

But for di opposition National Unity Platform, led by Bobi Wine promise say dem go create ten million million jobs by 2032 for dia manifesto, A New Uganda Now. Dem also promise to tackle corruption and transform Uganda to tech driven economy.

For young leaders like Gloria Nawanyanga, di moment for change dey ripe.

She tok say, "na di right time for young pipo to take oca di stewardship of is kontri cos na us be majority."

As Uganda dey go vote, di youth vote dey expected to play beta role to shape di kontri leadership.

Atuhire Vandah, wey be 24 year old fish seller for Luzira for outside Kampala say she go like di leadership of di kontri to address corruption.

She say, "I want di elected to make sure say youth livelihood finds ereach us. We hear say dem release di omey but many of us neva get am bicos of fraud."

Halimah Mutesi wey be 38 year old market seller want leaders to put women empowerment for front.

She say, "I want di electoral bodi to continue dey empower women to di highest bicos we be di mama of di nation and most times, na we be di most disadvantaged"