Uganda Decides 2026: Running for Office? Here’s How to Deal Hackers, Trolls & Misinformation.

The election period is just around the corner and a number of people have come up to express interest in particular positions. The Kawempe North constituency seat alone for example has attracted over 15 contestants an indication that this time round people are ready and willing to get involved in shaping the political future of their area and the country.

Unlike the previous elections, the coming elections are going to be different. The digital space will have an upper hand in the activities leading to the coming elections.  As a contestant who has decided to run for office fueled by a deep desire to change your community you have to brave for a wild world of election season, where politics meets the digital jungle.

In these coming elections contestants should look forward to threats like cyber harassment, cyber bullying, doxing, cyber smear campaigns, hacking on top of other threats. The coming elections season is not just going to be a political battleground, but a cyber battleground too—and  there is no one that is safe from the candidates, activists, journalists, to voters—no one is exempt from the digital warfare that might unfold during elections.

Candidates running for office are likely to face threats like: hackers trying to compromise personal and campaign accounts, trolls launching harassment and smear campaigns, misinformation designed to discredit candidates and manipulate voters, old, controversial posts resurfacing to damage credibility (there is a common saying that the internet does not forget nor forgive), artificial intelligence generated misleading messages among others. The unfortunate bit is that the moment you announce your candidacy, you become a target. Hackers want your data. Trolls want your peace of mind. Misinformation will twist your words into unrecognizable shapes, and if you are not careful, your own social media history will rise from the grave to haunt you. If you thought debates would be your biggest challenge, you may want to think again.

However, all hope is not lost, this is not a warning, it is a game plan. If you are running for office, cyber threats are coming—but you can prepare.  Below is how to protect yourself, your campaign, staff and your voters from the cyber chaos that is coming with running for office in 2026.

Separate Your Campaign from Your Personal Life

 If you are using your personal Facebook, Instagram, Telegram or X (Twitter) account to run your campaign, stop right now. That is like inviting the entire internet into your living room and handing them your family photo album. Your personal and campaign accounts should be two completely different worlds. Your personal accounts should be locked down, private, and boring to anyone who is not a close friend or family member. Your campaign accounts on the other hand should be public, professional, and fully dedicated to your message. So, before you even start drafting campaign speeches, audit your online presence. Delete, hide, or restrict anything that does not serve your public image.

Lock Down Your Accounts Before Hackers Do It for You.

 If you are using for example “Vote4Me2025” as your password, hackers love weak passwords, and election season is a playground for cybercriminals. It is not just about you, either. If hackers get into your email, social media, or campaign systems, they can: leak sensitive information, spread false statements in your name, wipe out campaign data, redirect campaign funds hence spending more time doing damage control than talking to voters. Take five minutes right now to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on everything—email, social media, donor platforms. Use a password manager. And please, stop using the same password across multiple accounts. One leak and it is game over.

Trolls Are Inevitable—Do not let them control the narrative.

 Ah, the trolls! The faceless, keyboard warriors whose sole purpose in life is to make yours miserable. The minute you step into the political ring, they will find you. They will twist your words, flood your comment sections, and bait you into arguments that you cannot win. The golden rule is  Do Not. Engage. Blocking, muting, and restricting are your best campaign tools after a well-crafted speech. If you spend all your time responding to trolls, you are not running a campaign—you are giving them free entertainment.

Let your team handle the noise. Automate comment filters to catch the worst abuse. Use tools like Block Party or Shield AI to keep your social feeds clean and whatever you do, never argue with someone whose profile picture is an egg.

Misinformation Will Find You—Be Ready for It.

At some point, a lie about you will spread online. Maybe it is a fake screenshot. Maybe it is a deep fake video where you appear to be saying something outrageous. Maybe it is a completely made-up story that takes on a life of its own. By the time you see it, thousands—maybe millions—of people will have already believed it. The trick is  do not panic. Misinformation thrives on chaos and outrage. If you overreact, you give it more oxygen. Instead, address it quickly, calmly, and with facts.

• If it is a fake post, share a screenshot of the real one.
• If it is a false claim, provide a clear, factual correction without repeating the lie.
• If it is getting out of control, work with fact-checking organizations to help debunk it.

Most importantly, do not let misinformation define your campaign. Focus on your message—not internet gossip.

Protect Your Campaign, Your Team & Your Voters.

It is not just you who needs digital protection—your entire campaign team is at risk. Staff, volunteers, donors—anyone connected to your campaign can be targeted by phishing attacks, data breaches, or scams. Make cyber security a team effort. Educate your staff on common cyber threats, use encrypted email services like Proton Email, and switch to secure messaging apps like Signal or Telegram for sensitive discussions. Never open an unexpected email attachment—especially if it promises “urgent campaign funds” from a mystery donor. That is how you get hacked.

Win the Election, Not Just the Cyber War.

Running for office is tough enough without hackers, trolls, and misinformation trying to trip you up. But you can stay ahead of the game.

• Separate your personal and campaign accounts.
• Audit and clean up your digital past.
• Lock down your accounts before hackers do it for you.
• Ignore the trolls—do not feed them.
• Be ready for misinformation, because it is coming.
• Have a digital team that is very well conversant in the field.
• Protect your campaign team and voters from cyber threats.

Dear candidate, your digital presence is part of your campaign strategy—make sure it works for you, not against you. Now go out there and win—not just at the polls, but in the digital battlefield too.