NRM’s Nambi petitions court over Nalukoola’s victory
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate in the recently concluded Kawempe North by-election, Ms Faridah Nambi (centre), speaks on the phone shortly after filing a petition at the High Court in Kampala challenging the victory of National Unity Platform (NUP)’s Elias Nalukoola on April 11, 2025. Photo/Jane Nafula
What you need to know:
- Ms Nambi also wants the court to order a new or fresh election and also recommend the prosecution of Mr Nalukoola and his agents for the offenses allegedly committed in the Kawempe MP by-election. She also wants court to award her costs of the petition and other reliefs as it may deem fit.
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate in the recently held bloody Kawempe North MP by-election, Faridah Nambi Kigongo, has contested the results of the March 13 exercise, alleging electoral offenses and irregularities.
In her petition filed Friday, April 11, 2025 afternoon at the Kampala’s High Court Civil Division, Ms Nambi accuses the National Unity Platform (NUP)’s Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola, who was declared winner of voter bribery, obstruction of electoral officials, and campaigning on voting day in an exercise that was highly militarized and left several opposition supporters and journalists brutalized or arrested by security operatives.
Nearly 20 journalists were also brutalized and/or arrested by security operatives during the exercise organized by the Electoral Commission, which Ms Nambi lists as one of the respondents to her court petition.
“Your petitioner contends that there was non-compliance with the provisions laid down in the Parliamentary Elections Act relating to elections and that the non-compliance and failure to hold the elections in accordance with those provisions affected the result of the election in a substantial manner,” reads in part of Ms Nambi’s petition.
She added: “On election day, the first respondent's (Nalukoola) agents and campaigners Julius Mutebi, Mathias Walukagga and Hon. Kiyaga Hillary aka Dr. Hilderman obstructed election officers at Kazo Angola (NAKK-NAMAS) at Bosa's Road polling station by invading the polling station, ordering election officials on what to do and checking voters' registers or rolls to confirm voters even though they were not the designated polling agents for the first respondent at that polling station, among others,” Court documents further reads.
The new Member of Parliament for Kawempe North, Elias Nalukoola, swears in during a ceremony held in the chambers of the Speaker on March 26, 2025
Mr Mutebi, Mr Walukagga and Mr Kiyaga were among the NUP supporters arrested in the morning of voting day and whisked away in Toyota Hiace vehicles, notoriously known as drones. They were released a day later without charges before they were hospitalized with injuries they sustained from the torture security operatives subjected them to.
However, Ms Nambi contends that the Electoral Commission did not comply with laws governing parliamentary elections by failing to return results from 14 polling stations with a total number of 16,640 registered voters.
Through her lawyers, Ms Nambi, a former Kampala Woman MP contender, is seeking the court’s declaration that there was noncompliance with the provisions of the Parliamentary Elections Act.
“Declare that the first respondent committed illegal practices and offenses prior to and on the day of the election of the Member of Parliament for Kawempe Division North Constituency and that court sets aside the election of the first respondent as the Member of Parliament for Kawempe Division North Constituency,” he petition adds.
Ms Nambi also wants the court to order a new or fresh election and also recommend the prosecution of Mr Nalukoola and his agents for the offenses allegedly committed in the Kawempe MP by-election. She also wants the court to award her the costs of the petition and other reliefs as it may deem fit.
Further, she wants the court to declare that 16, 640 voters were disenfranchised in Kawempe, yet the winning margin between the two contenders was about 8,000 votes.
Nambi obtained 9,058 votes, while Nalukoola was declared the winner with 17,939 ballots marred with high voter apathy.
