Court orders fresh election in Buwekula South
In a judgment delivered on Friday (November 13, 2026), acting Judge Mary Babirye ruled that the election was not conducted in compliance with the provisions of the Parliamentary Elections Act, and that the irregularities substantially affected the election results.
Court orders fresh election in Buwekula South
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The High Court in Mubende has nullified the election of Dedan Mubangizi, a National Resistance Movement candidate, as the Member of Parliament for Buwekula South Constituency and ordered the Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election.
This follows a petition filed by independent candidate Fred Tumwesigye.
In a judgment delivered on Friday (November 13, 2026), acting Judge Mary Babirye ruled that the election was not conducted in compliance with the provisions of the Parliamentary Elections Act, and that the irregularities substantially affected the election results.
The court set aside Mubangizi’s declaration following a recount conducted on January 28, 2026, as well as the publication of his name in the Uganda Gazette of March 4, 2026.
The judge noted that the original election return recorded 18,717 valid votes, while the recount certificate recorded 17,291 votes, representing a reduction of 1,426 votes.
The original return also recorded 379 invalid ballots, which reduced to 190 in the recount.
The court further observed that the original lead of 806 votes for Tumwesigye changed to a lead of 404 votes for Mubangizi following the recount, representing a net movement of 1,210 votes between the two candidates.
The judge held that the missing ballots and declaration of results forms, together with the discrepancies in the recount figures and failures in the preservation of electoral materials, substantially affected the election result.
She, however, declined to declare Tumwesigye the winner, saying the available evidence did not enable the court to establish a reliable final tally for the constituency.
The seat was declared vacant, and the Registrar was directed to forward a certified copy of the judgment to the Clerk to Parliament and the Electoral Commission.
On the handling of electoral materials, the judge directed the Registrar to transmit the judgment to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for investigations into the custody and handling of the Buwekula South electoral materials between January 15 and January 28, 2026.
The DPP was directed to report the findings of the investigations to the court within 15 days of receiving the judgment.
The judge clarified that the court had not made any finding of criminal liability against any individual.
The respondents were also ordered to jointly and severally pay Tumwesigye’s costs of the election petition.