The Electoral Commission has thrown out Ivan Bwowe’s petition on the Nakawa Division West race after finding no proof to support his claim that seven rivals were nominated for a non-existent constituency.
The decision issued on November 21 followed a hearing held on November 10. The Commission reviewed Bwowe’s submissions and the responses from the candidates’ lawyers. Bwowe argued that the EC nominated his opponents under the name Nakawa West instead of the legally recognised Nakawa Division West. He asked the EC to cancel their nominations and declare him the only valid candidate.
The Commission found no basis for his request. Justice Simon Byabakama stated that all candidates, including Bwowe, filled and signed the EC Control Forms with the correct constituency name. He added that the phrase Nakawa West appeared on parts of the nomination paperwork as a short form, not as an official constituency. The EC found that each contender submitted campaign programmes covering the same area, which confirmed they were running in the same constituency.
The Commission also found that all candidates had already agreed on a joint campaign programme before the Kampala Returning Officer by October 31. The harmonised schedule used the proper constituency name. This meant the naming discrepancy had been fixed before Bwowe filed his complaint on November 6.
The EC further noted that Bwowe presented the issue as if it affected only his rivals, yet his own posters used both Nakawa Division West and Nakawa West. The Commission concluded that the inconsistency was clerical and widespread, not intentional or illegal.
On these grounds, the EC dismissed the complaint. The Commission upheld the Returning Officer’s decision to nominate all eight contenders. The ruling aligns with an affidavit from Joel Ssenyonyi, who said the short form Nakawa West appeared in his papers but did not change his intention to contest in Nakawa Division West. Other candidates had earlier dismissed the petition as unfounded.
The EC has notified the Kampala Returning Officer and all parties. The decision confirms that the eight candidates remain on the ballot for one of Kampala’s most competitive races ahead of the January 15, 2026 election.
