KAMPALA, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Uganda on Monday officially launched presidential campaigns, with eight candidates, including incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, vying for the East African country's top office in the 2026 polls.

The campaigns will run for three months across all 146 districts before culminating in the presidential election on Jan. 2, 2026.

Museveni, who has ruled for 39 years, is seeking a seventh consecutive five-year term.

His main challengers include Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, a pop star-turned-politician from the National Unity Platform, and Nathan Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change.

Julius Mucunguzi, spokesperson for the Electoral Commission, said the body is fully prepared to deliver free and fair elections, with campaigns permitted daily from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time.

"We agreed on a harmonized campaign program for all eight presidential candidates. We call upon the candidates to abide by the campaign calendar and the guidelines," Mucunguzi said. ■