Busiro East Election Petition: Court Orders Forensic Officers to Appear Over Missing DR Forms

The Wakiso High Court is stepping up pressure on investigators involved in the Busiro East parliamentary election petition. Justice George Okello has ordered two police forensic officers to personally appear in court on November 13 to explain their findings after they failed to honour previous summonses.

The officers, Clare Hashikamana and Erisa Ssebuwufu, were directed to defend a forensic report evaluating more than 130 Declaration of Results (DR) forms submitted by petitioner Abdul Kiyimba. Incumbent MP Emmanuel Matovu Magoola’s legal team has heavily relied on this report to challenge the authenticity of documents brought forward by the petitioner.

During the proceedings, lawyer Robert Bautu noted that the officers had been served twice but failed to attend, prompting concerns over potential pressure or career fears. This led Justice Okello to temporarily clear the courtroom so legal teams could discuss the officers’ absence. While Magoola’s side raised interference concerns, Kiyimba firmly denied the allegations.

Meanwhile, MP Magoola faced intense cross-examination from Kiyimba’s lawyer, Ahmed Kalule Mukasa. Several disputed forms lacked presiding officer signatures. Magoola admitted that some documents were unsigned and acknowledged they are typically excluded from official tallies. Scrutiny also fell on conflicting DR forms from the Kyengera Health II polling station, which featured different agent names and vote counts.

Magoola maintained that his team gathered original copies from over 540 polling stations and urged the court to trust the police forensic findings. However, Justice Okello questioned why certified copies from the Electoral Commission were not presented. Magoola claimed his requests to the electoral body went unanswered.

Kiyimba maintains that certified commission documents prove his actual victory. The petition stems from the January 2026 polls where Magoola was declared the winner with 45,625 votes against Kiyimba’s 28,499 votes. Read more details of the proceedings in the Daily Monitor report.