Ex-minister Sempijja challenges NUP victory, seeks Kalungu East MP vote recount

A vote recount battle is looming in Kalungu East after former Defence Minister Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja petitioned court, challenging the victory of National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Yusuf Kiruluuta Nkeretaanyi in the January 15 parliamentary elections.

Ssempijja, who lost by a margin of 2,254 votes, wants the court to order a full recount, arguing that widespread irregularities during vote counting and tallying handed the seat to his opponent against the true will of voters.

Through his lawyer, Simon Kasangaki, Ssempijja dragged Nkeretaanyi to court, accusing electoral officials of falsifying results at several polling stations. Kasangaki told Masaka Chief Magistrate Herbert Asiimwe on Thursday that multiple Declaration of Results (DR) forms were riddled with discrepancies that could not be reconciled.

“The figures were altered with crossings that were not countersigned. You find some DR forms with discrepancies between figures and words, with no explanation or reconciliation,” Kasangaki said.
“In some polling stations, a form shows 31 male voters, yet the declaration of results shows 300 male voters. Where did these come from?”

According to the application, the alleged anomalies undermine the credibility of the entire results transmission process in Kalungu East and warrant a recount to allow the public to transparently verify the actual outcome.

Polling stations cited as problematic include Magezi, Kizungu, Kiti, Mukoko, Kyamuliibwa and Kaliro Ward Central, among others.

Defence raises objections

However, lawyers representing Nkeretaanyi, led by Samuel Muyiizzi Mulindwa, urged the court to dismiss the application, raising both evidential and jurisdictional objections.

Muyiizzi argued that the DR forms relied upon by Ssempijja were not certified and therefore lacked probative value. He also contended that Ssempijja had sued the wrong party.

“Nkeretaanyi did not declare himself a winner and could not have participated in any falsification of results,” Muyiizzi submitted, adding that the Electoral Commission (EC), which is legally mandated to organise and conduct elections, should have been sued instead.

The defence further questioned how a matter initially filed in Kalungu Grade One Magistrate’s Court ended up before the Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court, insisting that the latter lacked jurisdiction to hear the application.

After nearly a full day of preliminary objections, the presiding magistrate ruled that the matter was properly before the court and ordered the hearing to proceed.

Proceedings stretched late into the night, ending at 8:46pm. In his remarks, Chief Magistrate Asiimwe noted that the application raised substantive issues that required careful judicial consideration.

He adjourned the matter to Tuesday, January 27, 2026, when the court is expected to rule on whether a recount of votes cast in Kalungu East will be granted.

Tight race

According to results announced by EC Returning Officer Teddy Nabukenya on January 16, Nkeretaanyi polled 15,473 votes, defeating Ssempijja, who garnered 13,219 votes.

Other candidates in the race included incumbent MP Francis Katabaazi (649 votes), independents Deogratious Katongole (637) and Irene Nanyanzi (485), Democratic Front’s Mathias Kintu (189), and Democratic Party’s Asuman Kabonge (90).

Nkeretaanyi, who attended the court session alongside his lawyers, has maintained that his victory was clean and reflects the will of the electorate.

Not Ssempijja’s first recount bid

This is not the first time Ssempijja has turned to court after losing in Kalungu East. Following the 2021 general elections, he successfully secured a court-ordered recount after losing to Francis Katabaazi, then running on the NUP ticket.

In that contest, Katabaazi had polled 12,198 votes against Ssempijja’s 10,865, a margin of 1,333 votes. The recount, however, was abandoned after it emerged that some ballot box seals had been broken, prompting then Chief Magistrate Charles Yeteise to call off the exercise.

Ssempijja is a seasoned politician who previously served as area Member of Parliament and Minister for Agriculture. Before joining Parliament, he held several administrative positions, including Deputy Mubende District Administrator (1992–1993), Resident District Commissioner for Masaka (1995–1998), and Masaka District Chairperson (1998–2011).

As the court prepares to determine whether a recount will proceed, political observers are watching closely, with the outcome likely to set the tone for post-election disputes in the region.