Politics 21 October 2026 The Observer (Uganda)

Court Upholds Nameere's Masaka City MP Election Despite Recount Flaws

The Masaka High Court has affirmed the election of Justine Nameere Nsubuga as Masaka City Woman MP, dismissing a petition challenging her victory. The court found that while vote recount irregularities occurred, they did not substantially alter the final election outcome. Source: https://observer.ug/news/court-upholds-nameeres-election-despite-recount-irregularities

The Masaka High Court has definitively upheld the election of Justine Nameere Nsubuga, the State Minister for Local Government, as the Member of Parliament for Masaka City Woman. This decision follows a petition lodged by Rose Nalubowa, the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, who sought to overturn the results.

In his judgment, Justice Bernard Namanya acknowledged that the recount process was not conducted in full compliance with electoral laws. Specifically, the court noted that several electoral materials had been compromised during the process.

However, the High Court ruled that despite these procedural irregularities, Nalubowa failed to demonstrate that the discrepancies substantially impacted the final election results. The court emphasized that proving non-compliance with electoral laws is insufficient on its own to invalidate an election; the petitioner must prove the non-compliance was severe enough to alter the outcome.

Nameere, representing the National Resistance Movement (NRM), was declared the winner after a recount ordered by the Masaka Chief Magistrate. This recount reversed the Electoral Commission’s initial declaration, which had favored Nalubowa. Nalubowa had challenged the recount, alleging abuse of power and violations of electoral law, including the timing of the recount and the handling of tampered ballot boxes.

The court analyzed the exclusion of votes from nine polling stations where materials were found to be tampered with. These stations had a combined total of 3,886 registered voters, with 1,353 votes cast for either Nameere or Nalubowa. Even if all these votes were added to Nalubowa’s tally, Nameere would still have maintained a lead of 973 votes.

Consequently, the court dismissed Nalubowa’s petition and ordered her to bear the legal costs incurred by Nameere. Nalubowa expressed disappointment, stating she would consult her legal team regarding potential next steps.