Written By | Peter Luzinda
Rose Nalubowa is challenging the election of State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere after a recount reversed the Electoral Commission’s original result
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MASAKA
The dispute over who won the Masaka City Woman MP seat returned to the High Court on Monday, with lawyers for the rival candidates appearing before Justice Bernard Namanya.
National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Rose Nalubowa is challenging the election of State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere after a recount reversed the Electoral Commission’s original result.
At the hearing, Nalubowa’s lawyer, Alexander Lule, told the court that the respondents had received the evidence on which the petition is based.
Nameere’s lead counsel, Anthony Bazira, asked for permission to file a rejoinder, setting the stage for the next phase of the case.
Nalubowa was initially declared the winner of the January 15 election after polling 25,443 votes, compared with Nameere’s 20,324.
Nameere disputed the result and successfully sought a recount. The exercise, supervised by Masaka Chief Magistrate Albert Asiimwe, produced a different outcome, with Nameere declared the winner with 25,502 votes against Nalubowa’s 23,176.
It is that recount that Nalubowa is now challenging.
She argues that the exercise was marred by irregularities and that the final figures did not reflect the choice made by voters at the polls.
Nameere has opposed the petition and asked the court to dismiss it with costs. She argues that the case is defective, incompetent and fails to disclose a cause of action.
The petition, registered as Election Petition No. 05 of 2026, also lists the Masaka City Returning Officer and the Electoral Commission as respondents.
Monday’s sitting focused on preliminary issues rather than the evidence behind the disputed election. The court is expected to issue further directions before the substantive hearing begins.
The case is part of the election disputes arising from the 2026 general elections that are being handled by the Judiciary.
