KABALE, UGANDA – The State Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. David Bahati, will be on the ballot in the 2026 general elections, seeking to retain his seat as the Member of Parliament for Ndorwa West as an independent candidate.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This confirmation follows the emergence of a Payment Registration Slip from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), dated October 15, 2025, which shows that the incumbent legislator has paid the mandatory nomination fee of Three Million Ugandan Shillings (UGX 3,000,000) to the Electoral Commission.
This move solidifies Hon. Bahati’s political path after a significant setback in July of this year, when he was defeated in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries by the party’s newly elected flag bearer, Hon. Eliab Naturinda.
The payment, processed under registration number 2260005336210, effectively dismisses widespread media reports that had circulated online claiming the Minister had withdrawn from the parliamentary race entirely.
Those earlier reports had quoted Bahati as stating he would not offer himself as an independent candidate following his primary loss.
This financial commitment to the Electoral Commission unequivocally confirms his intention to challenge the NRM’s official candidate and any others in a bid to continue representing the constituency.
Attempts to reach Hon. Bahati for a comment on his revised campaign strategy and political platform were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
The stage is now set for a highly contested race in Ndorwa West, pitting the experienced incumbent and current minister against the official candidate of the ruling party he serves in.
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