NUP’s Nalubowa seeks to overturn Nameere’s victory again in Masaka

By Skika Reporter

A fresh legal battle is looming over the Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament seat after National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Rose Nalubowa petitioned the High Court, challenging the election of Justine Nameere.

Nalubowa, through her lawyers Alaka & Company Advocates and Xander Advocates, argues that she was the rightful winner of the January 15, 2026 election, claiming she secured 25,443 votes against Nameere’s 20,324—a margin of 5,119 votes.

“After collecting all the necessary certified documents and substantial evidence confirming my rightful declaration as the duly elected woman MP for Masaka City, I have officially filed an election petition challenging the magistrate’s decision that declared Nameere the woman MP for Masaka City,” Nalubowa said on Monday.

The dispute stems from a court-ordered recount conducted at the Masaka Chief Magistrates Court, where Chief Magistrate Abert Asiimwe declared Nameere the winner on February 1 after a three-day exercise.

According to the recount results, Nameere polled 25,502 votes against Nalubowa’s 23,176—reversing the earlier declaration by the Electoral Commission Uganda that had initially named Nalubowa winner.

Nalubowa now argues that the recount process was marred by “gross irregularities” and is asking the High Court to nullify the outcome and declare her the validly elected MP.

The petition follows a series of failed legal attempts by Nalubowa to reclaim the seat, including efforts to block Nameere’s gazettement and a judicial review of the recount process.

Last month, she withdrew three applications after they were overtaken by events and after High Court judge Simon Peter Kinobe declined to recuse himself from the matter.

Nalubowa said the election petition now provides a substantive opportunity to present evidence of alleged malpractice.

“We managed to serve the respondents in the newspapers after they tried to avoid our efforts to serve them the court documents physically. We are just waiting for the time which will be set by court to hear the matter,” she said.

Nameere had not immediately commented on the latest development by press time, but the dispute adds to a growing list of post-election legal challenges following Uganda’s 2026 general elections.

Earlier this month, while meeting NRM leaders at Masaka State Lodge, President Yoweri Museveni publicly backed Nameere, praising her persistence in demanding a recount after initially losing.

“When she contested for the Masaka city Woman MP seat, there were attempts to rig the votes but she insisted on a recount, and when the votes were counted again, she won. That shows courage,” Museveni said.