Army Confirms SFC Will Guard All 2026 Presidential Candidates

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1249 EAT on Friday 20 September 2025

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has reiterated that all presidential candidates in the upcoming 2026 elections will be provided security by the Special Forces Command (SFC).

Electoral Commission (EC) spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi has announced that the nomination of presidential candidates will take place next week on Tuesday and Wednesday. He added that upon successful nomination, each candidate will be immediately assigned a police patrol vehicle and armed security personnel to ensure their safety throughout the campaign period.

“Once an aspirant is officially nominated as a candidate, they are immediately assigned a vehicle and a police security detail. They leave the nomination venue under protection,” said Electoral Commission spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi.

However, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has emphasized that presidential candidates, as Very Important Persons (VIPs), fall under the direct protection of the Special Forces Command (SFC).

“The Electoral Commission is mandated to provide police security. The SFC is mandated to protect VIPs. Every presidential candidate qualifies as a VIP,” said Maj Gen Felix Kulayigye, the Defence Public Information Officer.

Tensions over security arrangements for the 2026 presidential elections have intensified following a firm declaration by Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who in July insisted that only the Special Forces Command (SFC) will be permitted to guard presidential candidates.

“I have said it once and for all — ALL presidential candidates will be guarded ONLY by SFC! Any personal arrangements that do not concur with our standard operating procedures (SOPs) will be smashed immediately,” Gen Muhoozi warned in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The hardline stance has drawn criticism from some aspirants. Elton Joseph Mabirizi, who is due for nomination on Tuesday at 10 a.m., has outright rejected the deployment of SFC personnel for his security, raising concerns over impartiality and militarisation of the electoral process.

“The law permits us to take charge of our own security. We have the right to reject any security detail we deem unsuitable, and we are allowed to hire private security. I will only accept protection from the police,” Mabirizi asserted.

In past elections, presidential candidates were typically protected by the Very Important Persons Protection Unit (VVIPU), a specialized arm of the police’s Counter-Terrorism Directorate, which is currently headed by AIGP David Wasswa.

It remains unclear whether the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) will reconcile their differing positions on which force should take the lead in protecting presidential candidates during the 2026 elections.

So far, prominent figures who have submitted their nomination forms include President Yoweri Museveni (NRM), Nathan Nandala Mafabi (FDC), Robert Kyagulanyi (NUP), Nobert Mao (DP), and Gregory Mugisha Muntu (ANT).

Attempts by The Observer to reach Kyagulanyi for comment were unsuccessful. When questioned about the apparent contradiction between the EC’s and UPDF’s positions, EC spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi downplayed any conflict.

“The EC doesn’t have to resolve it. The law already does. Article 212 mandates the police to provide security at all times, including during elections,” Mucunguzi said, adding that the Commission is prepared to cover all costs associated with candidate security.

However, the Special Forces Command (SFC) — which the UPDF insists will protect all candidates — has previously drawn sharp criticism from opposition groups. They accuse the elite unit of abducting government critics and opposition supporters.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces, has further stoked controversy with social media posts boasting about the alleged detention of opposition figures, including Edward Ssebuwufu (also known as Eddy Mutwe), by SFC operatives.

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