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Ugandan military police officers detain a voter on the ground near a polling station in Kampala on January 15, 2026, during Uganda's 2026 general elections. [AFP]

Member states of the East African Community are holding their breath once again as Uganda elects its Members of Parliament and president in an election that has ramifications across the region.

For Ugandans, it is equivalent to having a date with destiny as the election has vast significance to a country that has known only one president since the National Revolutionary Movement (NRM) swept to power in 1986.