How much does it take to be an MP?

Politics in Uganda has become an expensive game. From Mayoral, parliamentary, to presidential candidates, anyone hoping to win an election must dig deep into their pockets. We examine the price of power and how money will control the 2026 general election.

With the 2026 elections approaching, concerns about the monetisation of politics are growing. Can elections be won without excessive spending? Or has money completely taken over Uganda’s democracy? These are the questions voters and politicians are grappling with.

During the 2021 general elections, Norbert Mao, the Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate, was on his way to Lira city when he stumbled upon a shocking scene — a long queue of people waiting to receive money from a candidate.

“To my surprise, the locals had lined up in big numbers to receive money from one of the candidates.

In other areas, you pay the campaign agents, and they bring people to your rallies,” Mao, who is also the justice minister, said during the launch of the book titled: Reviewing the Form and Substance of 2021 Elections at Makerere University.

Mao emphasised that voter bribery is practiced by all political parties and politicians.

He pointed out that running for Parliament in Uganda requires a lot of money, no matter which party a candidate belongs to.

Mao was reacting to a topic in the book authored by Dr Fredrick Golooba Mutebi, on the monetisation of elections in Uganda.

“Apart from the nomination fees paid to the Electoral Commission (EC), candidates spend huge amounts on campaign materials such as posters, branded T-shirts, sound systems for rallies and vehicles. They also give out gifts like soap, alcohol, sugar and even cash to voters. A significant portion of the budget goes to hiring campaign agents to mobilise support,” Mutebi noted.

Some candidates, he said, often hand out cash directly to voters during rallies, while visiting homes to ask for votes and even at funerals.

Practice normalised

This practice, Mutebi argued, has become a normal part of Ugandan elections.

At the book launch, Dr Suzie Muwanga, the executive director of the Julius Nyerere Foundation at Makerere University, described the 2021 elections as a turning point in Uganda’s history.

She noted that the elections were marked by unique challenges, changing political dynamics and important responses from institutions.

“This book explores the complexities of the electoral process, the role of political parties, the involvement of young people, gender issues and the ability of civil society to ensure democratic accountability,” said Muwanga, who previously headed the political science department at Makerere University.

According to Mutebi, this reliance on money in politics is not new in Uganda.

He said the movement system, which was in place under the 1995 Constitution, played a big role in making money a central factor in elections.

“Back then, candidates couldn’t run under political parties and had to sell themselves directly to voters. This created a culture where voters expect to benefit financially from candidates. This mindset, he says, has continued to shape Ugandan politics,” he said.

New trends in 2026

The dynamics as we head to the 2026 general election, university dons said, might not sharply change, especially the monetisation of politics.

Commenting on the commercialisation of the politics, former Makindye East MP, Ibrahim Kasozi, said: “Voters often see their MP as a provider. You have to be ready to pay school fees for their children. By the time I left Parliament, I was paying fees for 135 university students. Others expect you to help with rent, contribute to churches and mosques, or even cover medical bills.

People lining up to vote. Parliamentary aspirants need about sh1b to contest for election no matter the constituency one is eying.

“Before you can even talk about why they should vote for you, you have to address their financial needs. Every area has its own demands, so you can’t approach voters without money.”

He added that currently, for one to contest for an MP seat in urban constituencies in the districts of Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso, they have to part with sh2b.

“Candidates will be judged on their individual efforts and anyone running must be prepared to spend heavily. You need money for campaign materials, hiring teams, supporting schools, churches and mosques, and even participating in local sports tournaments. In some places, you might need to build small houses for elders or latrines for communities. It is a lot. You must have sh2b to be safe,” he added.

In its various reports on campaign financing, the Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), a civic organisation that focuses on addressing commercialisation of politics, noted that parliamentary aspirants need about sh1b to contest for election — no matter the constituency one is eyeing.

During campaigns, Moses Kaggwa, a property broker in Kampala, said many candidates are forced to sell their homes and properties to raise funds.

“I know two politicians who sold their houses and cars to fund their campaigns. One of them won and returned to Parliament, but the other lost and is now renting a place in Bukoto,” he said.

Wasswa Lule, a former MP for Rubaga North, recalled how money was used against him in the 2001 elections. “Those who opposed me when I was deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG) poured a lot of money into the campaign to stop me from winning. They were afraid of the information I had. The amount of money I saw being given out in Rubaga North back then was unbelievable,” Lule said.

Political analysts such as Dr Sam Kazibwe, a senior lecturer of journalism and politics at Uganda Christian University, said for money to stop dominating politics, there must be deliberate efforts to amplify civic education.

“When citizens are educated and aware, they can demand better leadership without expecting handouts,” he said.

“Campaigns are expensive because even influencers need to be paid to support candidates. Getting a party ticket alone is costly. So, money will always play a role,” Kazibwe added.

EC boss Justice Simon Byabakama has called for a law regulating campaign financing.

During a recent engagement with the media, the EC chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, called for a specific law to regulate campaign financing if “detrimental effects” of commercialisation of elections are to be curbed.

Commercialisation of elections, Byabakma said, is a cancer that is eroding Uganda’s democratic progress.

“We are informed that, as of today, if you want to contest for Parliament, you need not less than sh500m. This inevitably drives aspirants to look for these bags of money. Some of them even go to the extent of selling off their hard-earned and obtained property in order to join an electoral race. Ask yourself: Does this person have the mindset of losing an election? That defines some of the aspects we have been talking about — violence, bribery of voters,” he added.

Civil servant factor

The influence of civil servants, Mao said, is the other major factor that drives campaign finance odds.

“These civil servants have a lot of money, and they are ready to unseat many incumbents,” Mao said.

EC has set June 13, 2025 as the deadline for civil servants who want to contest for elections in 2026 to resign.

According to the EC roadmap, the nomination of candidates for presidential and parliamentary elections will be conducted between September 17 and October 3. The general election for presidential, parliamentary and local government councils (city/district; municipality/ city division; and sub-county, town, municipal division), including Special Interest Groups representatives, is scheduled for January 12 to February 9, 2026.

Compromised leadership

According to the NRM spokesperson, Emmanuel Dombo, the over-commercialisation of politics has made it “difficult for the country to produce good leaders.”

“As a country, we don’t get quality leaders who are committed to public service. Those elected are also compromised and become deal makers,” he said.

The spokesperson of NUP, Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, said: “Money is being used to deny a chance to emerging leaders by locking them out for the purpose of finances. We want whoever uses money during election time to be arrested because it is criminal.”

To avoid this trend, Dombo proposed that the country should adopt proportional representation, as it’s done in South Africa.

Under the proportional representation, Dombo added, voters vote political parties, not individuals.

“This will also make politics unattractive. Many Ugandans don’t join it to serve. It should be for those willing to serve. Under proportional representation, citizens vote parties, and parties choose those to represent them in Parliament. Political parties, for example in South Africa, make a list in advance. This system does not attract individuals to inject a lot of money because they are not sure whether they will be on the list of the parties. Also, parties have central control on who should go to Parliament,” he said.

The Kampala central division mayor, Salim Uhuru, said: “For some positions like the Lord Mayorship seat, division mayors and MP seats, you must have liquid cash. Haven’t you heard one MP saying he injected sh3b to win NRM primaries and the national elections? For my case, I injected sh500m, in 2020/2021. I went for the district chairperson, CEC seat and the mayorship seat,” Uhuru said.