NRM welcomes ruling nullifying Kawempe North byelection

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The Electoral Commission chairperson of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, Dr Tanga Odoi, has welcomed the Kawempe North court ruling filed by NRM candidate Faridah Nambi.

While addressing the media on Monday, May 26, Odoi said, “I am happy with the ruling although I have not seen it, but our director of legal is going to take us through the insights. But if Kawempe results have been nullified, it is the right thing to do, and the people of Kawempe must have just.”

Odoi alleged that National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Erias Nalukoola defrauded over 16,000 people and claimed that Nalukoola is the duly elected Member of Parliament for Kawempe North.

“If there is no time for a re-election, we shall cross that bridge when the rightful time comes. But as the chairperson EC for NRM, I am happy that justice has been served,” Odoi added, noting that Nalukoola has a right to appeal in court.

Earlier on the same day, High Court judge Bernard Namanya of the Civil Division in Kampala ordered the Independent Electoral Commission to conduct fresh elections for Kawempe North.

“The election of Nalukoola as the directly elected MP for Kawempe Division North Constituency in Kampala district is set aside. Therefore, the seat is declared vacant,” the judge ruled.

Namanya said he reached the decision because 16,640 voters in the constituency, including Nambi, were denied the right to vote (disenfranchised), which substantially affected the outcome of the election.

The judge further ruled that Nalukoola personally campaigned on election day at Mbogo Primary School playground (KAT-MAJ) and Kazo Angola (KAL0KZ) at LC1 polling station. This constitutes an offence under Section 100(1)(a) and (b), and Section 100(2)(a) and (3) of the Parliamentary Elections Act (Cap. 177).

NUP secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya took to X (formerly Twitter) and said: “A day of infamy!!! So, Judge Bernard Namanya has nullified the election of comrade Nalukoola, claiming that he campaigned on election day and that elections were disrupted at 14 polling stations! Meaning that henceforth, the regime can deploy goons to disrupt elections in areas where they know they can't rig or win.”

He added that he hoped the Court of Appeal would overturn what he called an absurd decision.

Election results

Nambi, who was the first runner-up among ten candidates, initially secured 8,593 votes. However, this number later increased to 9,058 as indicated in the Uganda Gazette.

Other candidates in the race included Sadat Mukiibi aka Khalifah Aganaga (FDC), Henry Kasacca (DP), Ismail Musiitwa (PPP), and independents Muhammed Lusswa Luwemba, Hanifah Karadi Murewa, Muhammood Mutazindwa, Moses Nsereko and Stanley Edward Engena.