Politics 2 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Court to Rule on Nakawa West Election Petition October 20
The High Court has scheduled October 20, 2026, for judgment in a petition challenging Joel Ssenyonyi's election as Nakawa West MP. Petitioner Ivan Bwowe argues Ssenyonyi's nomination was invalid due to a constituency description discrepancy. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/court-sets-judgment-date-for-nakawa-west-election-petition-5616940
Justice Allan Nshiimye of the High Court has set a definitive date for the judgment in a petition that disputes the election of Joel Ssenyonyi as the Member of Parliament for Nakawa Division West. The ruling is expected on October 20, 2026, following the conclusion of arguments from all parties involved.
The core of the petition, filed by Ivan Bwowe, revolves around the description ‘Nakawa West’ used in nomination documents. Bwowe contends that this designation refers to a non-existent constituency, rather than the officially gazetted ‘Nakawa Division West’, thereby invalidating the nomination and subsequent election.
Lawyers representing the Electoral Commission and other respondents have urged the court to dismiss the petition, arguing that the nomination dispute was already adjudicated. They cite a previous High Court decision by Justice Collins Acellam on January 8, 2026, which dismissed an appeal by Bwowe. At that time, the court held that ‘Nakawa West’ was a correctable misnomer, and the nomination forms and electoral records clearly indicated that candidates were vying for Nakawa Division West.
Respondents also challenged the petitioner’s affidavit as being argumentative and overly lengthy. Furthermore, they argued that Bwowe has failed to demonstrate that any alleged non-compliance substantially impacted the election results, pointing to the significant vote difference between Bwowe (271 votes) and Ssenyonyi (21,761 votes).
Bwowe’s petition seeks a declaration that he was the sole validly nominated candidate and should have been declared elected unopposed. He argues that if other candidates were nominated for a non-existent ‘Nakawa West’, their nominations were invalid, rendering the entire election void.
The respondents countered that even if Ssenyonyi’s election were nullified, Bwowe would not automatically assume the seat, as multiple candidates participated. They emphasized that the law requires the court to determine if another candidate was duly elected or if the seat should be declared vacant, rather than automatically awarding it to the petitioner.