Kampala was treated to a bizarre spectacle on Wednesday when presidential hopeful Abdul Katongole showed up at the Electoral Commission (EC) headquarters on wooden stilts only to be turned away at the gates.
Clad in a glowing lime-green suit, Katongole towered nearly two feet above the ground, his towering entrance immediately pulling crowds, phones, and cameras. Journalists struggled to capture the full length of the scene without cutting off his extended legs, while bemused passersby paused to gawk and snap pictures.
At his side was his visibly overwhelmed assistant, juggling nomination documents while trying to steady his elevated boss.
Police later confirmed that Katongole was denied entry on “security grounds and inappropriate attire.”
But the aspirant defended his unusual choice of footwear, telling reporters that the stilts were more than a costume:
“I want to show Ugandans that leadership is about rising above challenges poverty, corruption, poor governance. These stilts are a metaphor, a message of hope,” he said.
The stunt left the crowd in stitches, with some joking that if all candidates adopted stilts, Kampala might need new traffic rules for “high-flying leaders.” Others offered Katongole unsolicited advice on balance and ankle support.
As he wobbled, shuffled, and eventually descended from his lofty perch, his assistant scrambled to keep both man and papers intact.
So far, more than 170 presidential hopefuls have collected nomination forms ahead of the 2026 elections but none has made as memorable an entrance as Katongole.
Whether Ugandans take his “life on stilts” slogan seriously remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: he left the EC gates grounded yet unforgettable.
