Politics
High Court confirms Babungi as Bundibugyo Woman MP
“The petition is dismissed. The election and return of Babungi as the District Woman Representative to Parliament for Bundibugyo District is hereby confirmed,” Justice Bushara ruled.
High Court confirms Babungi as Bundibugyo Woman MP
By: Farooq Kasule, Journalist @New Vision
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The High Court in Fort Portal has confirmed Josephine Bebona Babungi as the duly elected Bundibugyo District Woman Member of Parliament.
In a judgment delivered on Monday (November 9, 2026), Justice Joanita Bushara ruled that the petitioner Donna Kapalaya Kamuli failed to prove that Babungi or anyone acting with her knowledge, consent or approval committed illegal practices or election offences, including bribery, violence, threats and intimidation.
“The petition is dismissed. The election and return of Babungi as the District Woman Representative to Parliament for Bundibugyo District is hereby confirmed,” Justice Bushara ruled.
While the judge found material tally errors and shortcomings in the administration of the election, she held that these are not statutory grounds for setting aside the return or declaring the petitioner elected.
She ordered Kamuli and the Electoral Commission to jointly pay Babungi’s legal costs, citing the tallying discrepancies that gave rise to the petition.
On the sectarian remarks that Kamuli attributed to Babungi, the judge said the alleged words, their precise context, the speaker, the audience and the statutory offence were not established with the clarity needed to nullify the election.
Kamuli had also accused Babungi of using the campaign period to donate an ambulance and a CT (Computerised Tomography) scan machine to Nyahuka Health Centre III, and a solar street light in Humya village as inducements to voters.
She ordered Kamuli and the Electoral Commission to jointly pay Babungi’s legal costs, citing the tallying discrepancies that gave rise to the petition.
On the sectarian remarks that Kamuli attributed to Babungi, the judge said the alleged words, their precise context, the speaker, the audience and the statutory offence were not established with the clarity needed to nullify the election.
Kamuli had also accused Babungi of using the campaign period to donate an ambulance and a CT (Computerised Tomography) scan machine to Nyahuka Health Centre III, and a solar street light in Humya village as inducements to voters.
However, Justice Bushara ruled that on a balance of probabilities, Kamuli did not prove the allegations.
The judge also found no cogent evidence identifying the giver, the recipient or the consideration in the alleged donation of sports jerseys by Babungi during campaigns.
On voter intimidation, the judge said the evidence did not sufficiently establish that the alleged gangs or security personnel acted with Babungi’s knowledge, consent or approval.
On the alleged alteration of votes, where Kamuli claimed that 20 votes were altered at each of the 79 polling stations, Justice Bushara said the evidence did not provide a sufficiently reliable reconciliation showing a decisive numerical effect nor did it establish systematic manipulation of such gravity so as to undermine the integrity of the election as a whole.
Babungi won the election with 34,169 votes, while Kamuli came second with 32,182 votes.
The judge also found no cogent evidence identifying the giver, the recipient or the consideration in the alleged donation of sports jerseys by Babungi during campaigns.
On voter intimidation, the judge said the evidence did not sufficiently establish that the alleged gangs or security personnel acted with Babungi’s knowledge, consent or approval.
On the alleged alteration of votes, where Kamuli claimed that 20 votes were altered at each of the 79 polling stations, Justice Bushara said the evidence did not provide a sufficiently reliable reconciliation showing a decisive numerical effect nor did it establish systematic manipulation of such gravity so as to undermine the integrity of the election as a whole.
Babungi won the election with 34,169 votes, while Kamuli came second with 32,182 votes.