By Our Reporter
The High Court in Kampala has nullified the election of Hon. Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola as the Member of Parliament for Kawempe Division North and ordered the Electoral Commission to organize a fresh election.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Bernard Namanya, the court found that the by-election held earlier this year did not comply with provisions of the Parliamentary Elections Act, and that the irregularities substantially affected the outcome of the vote.
Justice Namanya said court reached the decision to set aside the election of Nalukoola for two main reasons.
The first one is that “16,640 voters in the constituency including Nambi Faridah Kigongo were denied the right to vote (disenfranchised) which affected the result of the election in a substantial manner.”
The judge further said Nalukoola “personally campaigned on election day at Mbogo Primary School Playground (KAT–MAJ) and Kazo Angola (KAL–KZ) at LCI Office polling stations which is an offence under Section 100 (1) (a) and (b) and Section 100 (2) (a) and (3) of the Parliamentary Elections Act (Cap. 177).”
Quoting the court’s final orders, Justice Namanya stated: “That the election of Luyimbazi Elias Nalukoola as a Directly Elected Member of Parliament for Kawempe Division North constituency in Kampala District is set aside.”
The judge further ruled that, “the seat for the Directly Elected Member of Parliament for Kawempe Division North constituency in Kampala District is declared vacant.”
Costs
Justice Namanya also ordered that, “the Electoral Commission is ordered to conduct a fresh election for the Directly Elected Member of Parliament for Kawempe Division North constituency in Kampala District” and that, “each party shall meet its own costs.”
The decision follows a petition filed by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and its candidate, Hon. Nambi Faridah Kigonogo, who accused the Electoral Commission of failing to return results from multiple polling stations, thereby disenfranchising thousands of voters.
The petition also cited allegations of election day malpractices including voter bribery, illegal campaigning, and obstruction of voters and officials by the declared winner’s campaign team.
Background:
The Kawempe North by-election, held in March 2025, was a rerun following the nullification of Muhammad Ssegirinya’s 2021 election.
It was characterized by intense political rivalry, security deployments, and accusations from the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) that state agencies perpetrated violence and intimidation against its supporters.
NUP had backed Nalukoola, whose victory has now been set aside. The court ruling sets the stage for a fresh contest in one of Kampala’s most politically charged constituencies.
The Electoral Commission is expected to announce the roadmap for the new election in the coming weeks.