# Ugandan parliamentary election legal challenges

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/ugandan-parliamentary-election-legal-challenges
> Updated: 2026-10-30T13:32:59.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2.

The Ugandan High Court has issued conflicting rulings regarding parliamentary election petitions. In one instance, the High Court in Mpigi nullified the election of Godfrey Ssaazi, the National Unity Platform candidate for Gomba East. Justice Jamson Karemani declared the seat vacant and ordered a fresh election after finding that the destruction of electoral materials at nine polling stations substantially affected the integrity of the January 15, 2026, election.

Conversely, the High Court in Kampala dismissed a petition challenging the victory of Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, for the Nakawa Division West seat. The petitioner argued that Ssenyonyi was invalidly nominated due to a clerical error on nomination papers. Justice Allan Paul Nshimye ruled that the omission of the word “Division” was a minor misnomer, noting that official Control Forms correctly identified the constituency. The court ordered the Electoral Commission to pay a portion of the legal costs.

## Claims

- The High Court dismissed an election petition challenging Joel Ssenyonyi’s nomination. (reported by 2 sources)
- Ivan Bwowe filed the petition arguing that candidates were nominated for a non-existent constituency named “Nakawa West”. (reported by 2 sources)
- Justice Allan Paul Nshimye ruled that the omission of the word “Division” was a minor irregularity or misnomer. (reported by 1 source)
- The court found that Control Forms signed by candidates and the Returning Officer correctly identified the constituency as Nakawa Division West. (reported by 1 source)
- Justice Nshimye cautioned that errors in nomination documents could potentially be exploited to manipulate the electoral process. (reported by 1 source)
- The court ordered the Electoral Commission to pay a quarter of the costs incurred by the parties. (reported by 1 source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-30: Ugandan High Court upholds Joel Ssenyonyi’s Nakawa Division MP victory

A Ugandan High Court has upheld Joel Ssenyonyi’s election as Nakawa Division West MP, dismissing a petition that claimed candidates were invalidly nominated due to clerical errors in constituency naming.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ugandan-high-court-upholds-joel-ssenyonyis-nakawa-division-mp-victory

### 2026-10-26: Uganda High Court nullifies Gomba East MP election

A Ugandan High Court has nullified Godfrey Ssaazi’s election as Gomba East MP due to the destruction of electoral materials, ordering a fresh election in the constituency.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uganda-high-court-nullifies-gomba-east-mp-election

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Cite as: Ugandan parliamentary election legal challenges. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/ugandan-parliamentary-election-legal-challenges