RUKUNGIRI — Hon. James Kaberuka Ruugi Niringiyimana, the Member of Parliament for Kinkiizi West County in Kanungu District, has secured a significant legal victory after the High Court in Rukungiri dismissed an election-related challenge against him.
The decision was delivered on September 15, 2026, by Justice Richard Wejuli Wabwire in Rushokora Victor v Niringiyimana Ruugi James Kaberuka and Others, Election Petition Application No. 4 of 2026.
The court’s decision centred on an alleged defect in the nomination process and whether such a matter could be raised after an election had already taken place.
In its ruling, the High Court held that where a candidate’s alleged nomination defect was apparent before polling, the appropriate time to challenge it was before the election through the established electoral process.
The court consequently found that such an issue could not subsequently be introduced as a post-election challenge after voters had already cast their ballots.
The decision was made with reference to Section 15 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, which provides for challenges relating to parliamentary nominations.
Kaberuka’s election remains at the centre of legal proceedings
Hon. Kaberuka was elected Member of Parliament for Kinkiizi West in the January 2026 general elections, securing 22,428 votes against independent candidate John Ngayure Ruhindi Ndungutse, who obtained 18,441 votes.
Kaberuka therefore won the contest by 3,987 votes.
However, his victory subsequently became the subject of legal scrutiny, with Ndungutse filing a separate election petition seeking to challenge the result.
Among the matters raised in that separate petition were allegations concerning Kaberuka’s name and date of birth as contained in his nomination documents.
Kaberuka has disputed the allegations.
The September 15 ruling, however, dealt specifically with the application before Justice Wabwire and the legal question concerning the timing of a challenge to an alleged nomination defect.
What the High Court decided
The court’s decision means that the particular challenge brought in Election Petition Application No. 4 of 2026 did not proceed to a full substantive hearing on the alleged nomination issue.
Instead, the court determined that the complaint faced a legal obstacle because the alleged defect, if known before polling, ought to have been challenged at the appropriate stage of the electoral process.
The ruling consequently places emphasis on the importance of following the procedures and timelines established by electoral law when challenging parliamentary nominations.
For Kaberuka, the decision represents another important development in the legal proceedings surrounding his election as the representative of Kinkiizi West.
A wider legal battle
The September 15 ruling should be distinguished from the separate election petition filed by Ndungutse challenging Kaberuka’s election.
The two matters concern the wider dispute surrounding the Kinkiizi West parliamentary election, but the High Court’s September 15 decision specifically addressed the nomination-related application before it.
The court’s reasoning underscores the distinction between challenging a candidate’s eligibility or nomination before an election and challenging the outcome of an election after voters have exercised their constitutional right to vote.
As the legal process surrounding the Kinkiizi West election continues, Hon. James Kaberuka remains the elected Member of Parliament, while the courts continue to determine the legal questions brought before them in accordance with Uganda’s electoral laws.
Case details
Case: Rushokora Victor v Niringiyimana Ruugi James Kaberuka and Others
Case No.: Election Petition Application No. 4 of 2026
Court: High Court of Uganda, Rukungiri
Judge: Justice Richard Wejuli Wabwire
Judgment: September 15, 2026
Citation: [2026] UGHC 1076
