Hoima City — Hon. Asinansi Nyakato, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) candidate who was declared winner of the Hoima City Woman Member of Parliament election, has maintained confidence in her victory as she continues to defend her mandate in court.
Nyakato won the January 15, 2026 parliamentary election with 17,142 votes, defeating her closest challenger, National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Princess Diana Jane Mugenyi, who obtained 15,197 votes. The 1,945-vote margin separated the two candidates. National Unity Platform candidate Bridget Kiiza received 1,362 votes, while independent candidate Sylvia Nalumaga polled 1,009 votes.
The victory was later challenged in court after Mugenyi filed an election petition at the High Court in Hoima in March 2026, seeking to have Nyakato’s election nullified and a fresh election ordered. The petitioner alleges several electoral irregularities, including ballot stuffing, voter bribery, voter manipulation, disenfranchisement and discrepancies in declaration of results forms. These allegations remain subject to determination by the court.
Nyakato has strongly defended her victory and instructed her legal team to contest the petition. Her lawyers, led by Medard Lubega Sseggona, have maintained that they are prepared to defend the election outcome and present evidence supporting the result declared by the Electoral Commission.
Throughout the case, Nyakato has continued to express confidence in the mandate she received from the people of Hoima City. She has maintained that her victory was genuinely earned at the ballot and that she is prepared to face the legal challenge and defend the result through the proper judicial process.
The case entered its substantive hearing stage at the High Court in Hoima on October 1, 2026, before Justice Charles Kasibayo. The proceedings attracted significant attention from supporters of both candidates, with security heightened around the court premises.
During the first day of the hearing, Nyakato’s legal team cross-examined Mugenyi on aspects of the petition and the evidence presented in support of the challenge. The proceedings subsequently moved to the defence side, with Mugenyi’s lawyers expected to cross-examine Nyakato and other witnesses presented by the defence.
Nyakato has remained composed throughout the proceedings, insisting that her legal team is ready to answer the allegations raised against her. She has also maintained that the evidence before court will demonstrate that her victory was legitimately obtained.
The petition has placed the January election outcome under judicial scrutiny, giving both sides an opportunity to present their evidence and challenge that of their opponents. The final determination will rest with the High Court after considering the evidence and arguments presented by the parties.
Until the court makes its final determination, Nyakato remains the declared and sitting Woman Member of Parliament for Hoima City. She has pledged to continue defending the mandate given to her by the electorate while allowing the judicial process to take its course.
