Minister Nameere (L) and NUP’s Rose Nalubowa
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The High Court in Masaka is today, October 21, 2026, expected to deliver its highly anticipated judgment in an election petition challenging State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere’s victory as Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament.
The ruling, scheduled to be communicated by email at noon or shortly afterwards, will determine whether Nameere of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) retains her parliamentary seat or whether National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Rose Nalubowa succeeds in overturning the disputed election results.
Justice Bernard Namanya, who presided over the petition, is expected to deliver the decision following more than eight months of legal proceedings arising from the January 15, 2026 parliamentary elections.
A judgment notice issued on October 20 by Deputy Registrar Karungi Loe informed lawyers representing Nalubowa, Nameere, the Masaka City returning officer and the Electoral Commission about the scheduled delivery of the ruling.
The case, registered as Election Petition No. 5 of 2026, centres on a dramatic reversal of the original election results following a court-ordered recount that handed victory to Nameere.
How the election results were reversed
The dispute began after the Electoral Commission initially declared Nalubowa the winner of the Masaka City Woman MP race.
The opposition candidate had secured 25,443 votes against Nameere’s 20,324, giving Nalubowa a lead of 5,119 votes.
However, Nameere challenged the results, arguing that votes from 11 polling stations had been excluded from the tally. Her challenge resulted in Masaka Chief Magistrate Albert Asiimwe ordering a recount.
The exercise, which lasted three days and concluded on February 1, reversed the initial declaration.
Following the recount, Nameere was declared the winner with 25,502 votes, while Nalubowa obtained 23,176 votes, giving the NRM candidate a margin of 2,326 votes.
Nalubowa rejected the outcome, alleging that the recount was marred by irregularities that undermined the credibility of the final results.
One of the central controversies involved ballot boxes with broken seals. Nalubowa’s legal team reportedly walked out of the tally centre after discovering a ballot box with a broken seal, accusing the magistrate of proceeding despite concerns about compromised ballot boxes.
She subsequently petitioned the High Court in March, seeking the nullification of Nameere’s victory and asking the court to declare her the duly elected representative.
Competing arguments
In her petition, Nalubowa accused electoral officials of failing to comply with the law during the recount, arguing that the alleged irregularities rendered the results unreliable.
Nameere denied the allegations and asked the court to dismiss the petition with costs. Her lawyers maintained that the recount was conducted pursuant to a lawful court order and reflected the will of Masaka City voters.
During the hearing, the court examined evidence presented by both parties, including video footage submitted by Nalubowa’s lawyers.
On September 22, Justice Namanya admitted the video evidence showing events surrounding the disputed recount, despite objections from Nameere’s legal team, which questioned its admissibility.
The proceedings also experienced tension on September 30 when exchanges between Nameere and Nalubowa’s lawyers prompted the judge to suspend the hearing for approximately an hour.
Nameere, who testified through a video link, maintained that Nalubowa and her representatives had abandoned the recount before it was completed. She also argued that ballot boxes identified as having irregularities were excluded from the final tally.
The defence later withdrew five witnesses: Ali Kateregga, Sadick Lubega, Fatumah Namiiro, Mark Kizza and Emmanuel Kawesi.
The court subsequently closed the hearing and directed the parties to file their final submissions by October 16.
High stakes for both candidates
Today’s judgment represents a crucial moment for the two candidates, whose political fortunes have remained uncertain since the disputed recount.
If the court dismisses Nalubowa’s petition, Nameere will retain her seat, subject to any further legal challenge. If Nalubowa succeeds, the court’s orders will determine the legal consequences for the disputed election and the parliamentary seat.
The ruling will also test the handling of electoral disputes, particularly the procedures followed during recounts and the treatment of allegations involving ballot-box integrity.
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