KAMPALA — The High Court in Kampala has set October 20, 2026, for judgment in a petition challenging the election of Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, as Member of Parliament for Nakawa Division West. Justice Allan Nshiimye fixed the date after the parties filed their written submissions and concluded their arguments in the case brought by parliamentary candidate Ivan Bwowe.
Bwowe is challenging the January 15, 2026 parliamentary election, arguing that the use of the name “Nakawa West” on nomination documents rendered the nominations of his rivals invalid. He contends that the legally gazetted constituency is Nakawa Division West and that “Nakawa West” refers to a constituency that does not legally exist.
In his petition, Bwowe wants court to declare him the only validly nominated candidate for Nakawa Division West and pronounce him duly elected unopposed. His argument is that the other candidates were nominated under the disputed constituency name, making their participation in the election unlawful and rendering the subsequent poll a nullity.
The Electoral Commission and other respondents have asked court to dismiss the petition with costs. They argue that the issue had already been considered before the election, when Bwowe challenged the nominations before the Commission and later appealed to the High Court.
The respondents further argue that Bwowe has not demonstrated that the alleged irregularity substantially affected the election results. Court records indicate that Ssenyonyi obtained 21,761 votes, while Bwowe received 271 votes in the contested election.
Justice Nshiimye is now expected to determine whether the issues raised by Bwowe provide a legal basis for overturning the election or whether the petition should be dismissed. The judgment scheduled for October 20 will determine the next legal course for the Nakawa Division West parliamentary seat.
