High Court Nullifies Elias Nalukoola’s Kawempe North MP Election, Orders By-Election

Summary

• The High Court in Kampala, on May 26, 2025, voided Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola’s election as Kawempe North MP, declaring the seat vacant due to electoral irregularities.
• Justice Bernard Namanya cited voter disenfranchisement of 16,640 voters and Nalukoola’s illegal campaigning on election day as key reasons for the nullification.
• Faridah Nambi Kigongo of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) successfully challenged Nalukoola’s March 13, 2025, by-election victory, alleging malpractice and non-compliance with electoral laws.
• Nalukoola, representing the National Unity Platform (NUP), has filed a notice of appeal, contesting the ruling and denying any wrongdoing.

Kampala, Uganda — On May 26, 2025, the High Court in Kampala nullified the election of Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola as the Member of Parliament for Kawempe North, ordering the Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh by-election.

The ruling, delivered by Justice Bernard Namanya, followed a petition by NRM candidate Faridah Nambi Kigongo, who challenged Nalukoola’s victory in the March 13, 2025, by-election, which he won with 17,939 votes against Nambi’s 9,058.

The court identified two primary violations: the disenfranchisement of 16,640 voters across 14 polling stations, which significantly impacted the election outcome, and Nalukoola’s personal campaigning on election day at Mbogo Primary School Playground and Kazo Angola LCI Office, breaching Section 100 of the Parliamentary Elections Act.

Nambi’s petition alleged multiple irregularities, including voter bribery, obstruction of election officials, and campaigning on polling day by Nalukoola and his agents. Specific claims included Nalukoola chanting NUP slogans like “People Power, Our Power” and offering cash inducements, such as 5,000 UGX to voters like George William Mawumbe and Geoffrey Wamukubira.

The court dismissed some allegations, like widespread bribery, for lack of direct evidence linking them to Nalukoola, but upheld the disenfranchisement and campaigning violations as sufficient to void the election.

The by-election followed the death of former MP Muhammad Ssegirinya in January 2025, with Nalukoola, a lawyer and former Democratic Party advisor, securing a landslide for NUP. The process was marred by violence, with reports of security forces targeting NUP supporters and journalists, and Nambi herself alleging voter intimidation.

Nalukoola, who assembled a legal team of nine firms to defend his win, denied campaigning on election day, asserting his campaign ended on March 11, 2025, per Electoral Commission guidelines. He has since filed a notice of appeal with the Court of Appeal, signaling a continued legal battle.

The ruling has heightened political tensions in Kawempe North, a traditional NUP stronghold, ahead of Uganda’s 2026 general elections. The Electoral Commission is yet to announce a date for the new by-election, which is expected to be closely watched amid ongoing debates over electoral integrity.

Posts on X reflect polarized sentiments, with some users criticizing the ruling as undermining NUP’s mandate, while others see it as a step toward electoral justice.