Uganda: LoP Ssenyonyi, six others await court decision in Bwowe’s Nakawa West petition

Uganda's High Court has fixed January 7, 2026, to hear an election petition challenging the nomination of candidates for the Nakawa Division West parliamentary seat, a case that has drawn in the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Joel Ssenyonyi, and the Electoral Commission (EC).

According to a hearing notice issued on January 6 by court registrar Simon Kintu Zirintusa, the matter will be heard at 10 am or soon thereafter, warning that "proceedings will continue even in the absence of any party."

The petition, filed by opposition parliamentary aspirant Ivan Bwowe, challenges what he calls the illegal nomination of seven candidates under a "non-existent" Nakawa West constituency for the 2025/2026 general elections.

The city-based lawyer, contesting under the People's Front for Freedom (PFF) ticket, argues that Uganda's gazetted electoral framework only recognises Nakawa Division West, not Nakawa West, and that any nominations under the latter are null and void.

In his filing addressed to the EC Secretary and received by the Commission's Security Registry, Bwowe accused the EC of an administrative blunder by accepting the nominations of Happy Nasasira, Herbert Anderson Burora, Felix Ephraim Okuye, Vincent Norbert Okumu, Joel Besekezi Ssenyonyi, Wilberforce Kyambadde, and Apuuli Rwamiti under an unrecognised constituency name.

In an affidavit, Bwowe stated that he was validly nominated on October 23, 2025, after fulfilling all legal requirements, and later confirmed from official EC documents that Nakawa Division West is the lawful electoral area.

He says the seven respondents submitted nomination forms citing Nakawa West, a defect he argues fundamentally invalidates their nominations.

Bwowe claims to hold certified copies of the forms, filled out and submitted by the candidates themselves.

Voter registration records, he added, showed that all respondents except Nasasira are registered in Nakawa Division West, while Nasasira is registered in Mbarara North Division.

"The misnaming of a constituency is not a minor clerical mistake," Bwowe argued, adding: "It's a substantive legal defect that undermines the entire nomination process."

He is seeking orders declaring Nakawa West non-existent, nullifying all seven nominations, and declaring him elected unopposed under the Parliamentary Elections Act.

The seat is currently held by a lawyer and journalist-turned-politician, Ssenyonyi, who is also the spokesperson of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party.

Last month, he welcomed the Electoral Commission's earlier dismissal of Bwowe's petition.

"The petition against the other candidates in Nakawa West has been dismissed for lack of merit. The PFF candidate... should simply go on the ground and face the voters. Shortcuts will not work for him!" Ssenyonyi said.

Reacting to the petition, NRM candidate Herbert Anderson Burora previously dismissed Bwowe's claims as illogical, while EC counsel Hamidu Lugoloobi said electoral complaints had to first be handled by the Commission under Section 15 of the Electoral Commission Act before reaching court.

Uganda is due to hold a General Election on January 15 to elect a new parliament and president.