KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s High Court has announced it will issue an electronic judgment in a contentious nomination dispute involving the Nakawa Division West parliamentary seat that could reshape one of Kampala’s most competitive races ahead of the January 15, 2026 general election.
The case, filed by lawyer and parliamentary aspirant Ivan Bwowe, centres on the legality of the nominations of several candidates including Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Joel Besekezi Ssenyonyi and six others.
Bwowe argues their nominations are invalid because they were filed under a constituency label he contends does not legally exist.
Bwowe, contesting the seat on the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) ticket, alleges that his rivals were nominated under “Nakawa West”, a description that is not recognised in Uganda’s electoral framework. He maintains that only Nakawa Division West is the formally gazetted constituency for the 2025–2026 electoral cycle.
In his petition, Bwowe seeks orders to declare the nominations of Happy Nasasira, Herbert Anderson Burora, Felix Ephraim Okuye, Vincent Norbert Okumu, Wilberforce Kyambadde, Apuuli Rwamiti and Ssenyonyi as illegal, null and void. He also requests that the court declare him the only validly nominated candidate, effectively unopposed under the Parliamentary Elections Act.
Before the case reached the High Court, the Electoral Commission (EC) dismissed Bwowe’s complaint in November 2025, ruling that the petition “had no merit”.
In that decision, the EC found that although some nomination documents referenced “Nakawa West,” the official control forms signed by all candidates, including Bwowe, correctly listed the constituency as Nakawa Division West.
The commission also noted all candidates submitted harmonised campaign schedules indicating they were contesting within the same legally recognised constituency.
The dismissal cleared the way for the contest to proceed with multiple candidates, including Ssenyonyi and others, confirmed to campaign in Nakawa Division West.
After filing the petition in late 2025, Bwowe’s case was provisionally scheduled for hearing at the High Court in Kampala on January 7, 2026.
Lawyers representing both sides appeared before the court, but instead of hearing further arguments, they were told the ruling will be delivered electronically through the Judiciary’s system, a procedural adaptation that has drawn attention from observers.
One opposition lawyer, Erias Nalukoola, said legal teams expected to tender additional material in court but were informed that the matter was now awaiting judgment.
“We came to court hoping that the petitioner Ivan Bwowe had something new to tender before court … however, we were informed that the ruling would be sent electronically,” he told reporters outside the courtroom.
The outcome of this dispute stands to influence campaign strategies and voter choices in Nakawa Division West, a key urban seat with multiple prominent contenders.
A favourable ruling for Bwowe could result in significant changes to the ballots, potentially leaving him unopposed. A decision upholding the EC’s position means the multi-candidate contest will proceed as planned.
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Observers note this nomination challenge reflects a broader trend in the 2026 election cycle, where candidates are increasingly turning to the judiciary to resolve eligibility and nomination disputes.
Such cases are raising questions about electoral administration, legal interpretation and the role of courts in shaping electoral outcomes.
With just days to go before polling day, the high court’s ruling, delivered digitally rather than orally in open court, has heightened anticipation among political stakeholders and constituents alike.
