Hoima Court upholds Nyakato poll win, dismisses Mugenyi petition
Nyakato was declared the winner with 17,142 votes against Diana's 15,197, giving her a majority of 1,945 votes. Other candidates, Kiiza Bridget and Nalumaga Sylvia Balyesiima, obtained 1,362 and 1,009 votes, respectively.
The court consequently dismissed the petition and ordered Diana to pay Asinansi's legal costs, while directing the Electoral Commission to bear its own costs. (
HOIMA - The High Court in Hoima has dismissed an election petition challenging the victory of Asinansi Nyakato as Hoima City Woman Member of Parliament, declaring her validly elected in the January 15, 2026 parliamentary elections.
In a judgment delivered electronically on Friday, Mbale resident Judge Charles Kasibayo ruled that the petitioner, Princess Diana Rouse Jane Mugenyi, had failed to prove allegations of electoral malpractice, voter bribery and the illegal procurement of voters against Asinansi and the Electoral Commission.
The court consequently dismissed the petition and ordered Diana to pay Asinansi's legal costs, while directing the Electoral Commission to bear its own costs.
Nyakato was declared the winner with 17,142 votes against Diana's 15,197, giving her a majority of 1,945 votes. Other candidates, Kiiza Bridget and Nalumaga Sylvia Balyesiima, obtained 1,362 and 1,009 votes, respectively.
Mugenyi, who contested on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, challenged the outcome, alleging that the election was marred by voter disenfranchisement, falsification of results, ballot stuffing, bribery and the illegal transfer of voters from neighboring districts into Hoima City.
The petitioner alleged that voters were disenfranchised at 18 polling stations, declaration of results forms contained contradictory entries, and ballots were stuffed at Mparo Gasani, Kasasa Catholic Church, Kihomboza I and Chambers polling stations.
Diana further accused Asinansi, personally or through her agents, of bribing voters at Ruyanja, Budaka and Kikwatamigo.
However, Justice Kasibayo found that most of the alleged irregularities had not been proved to the required legal standard.
On claims that some polling stations received fewer ballot papers than their registered voters, the judge observed that the figures recorded on the declaration of results forms showed that hundreds of ballot papers remained unused.
One of the petition's major grounds concerned allegations that Nyakato organised the transfer of residents from Kikuube District into Hoima City to influence the election outcome.
The petitioner claimed that residents from Kinogozi, Ngogoma and other areas were mobilised, their national identity cards collected and their names transferred to the Hoima City voters' register.
In his assessment, Justice Kasibayo found that there was no evidence indicating that some residents from Kinogozi had been transported to Hoima City and voted at the Kitara Secondary School polling stations.
The judge pointed to conflicting accounts from key witnesses and the absence of independent evidence linking Asinansi to the alleged scheme.
Despite dismissing the petition, Justice Kasibayo criticized the Electoral Commission over the manner in which presiding officers filled in accountability sections of declaration of results forms
By press time, Nyakato and her supporters were holding a procession in Hoima city as they celebrated their victory.