Former contestant for the Rakai District Woman Member of Parliament seat, Grace Nalubega, has expressed relief after the election petition file she filed challenging the election of Juliet Suubi Kinyamatama was finally recovered.
Kinyamatama, who contested on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, was declared the winner in the January parliamentary elections after securing 41,684 votes. Nalubega, who contested on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, came second with 29,039 votes, while independent candidate Asha Lubyayi finished third with 17,291 votes.
Dissatisfied with the declaration, Nalubega petitioned the High Court in Masaka, challenging the election outcome.
Nalubega appeared before Masaka High Court Judge Bernard Namanya for the hearing of the petition but was informed that the case file was missing from the court registry. She was subsequently advised to trace the file through the Chief Registrar.
Through her lawyer, Jude Mbabaali, Nalubega later approached the Deputy Registrar of the Masaka High Court, Roy Karungi, who advised them to file a fresh petition.
Mbabaali said the advice came as a shock because filing a new petition at that stage could have been considered out of time. He therefore asked the Deputy Registrar to make every effort to trace the original file.
According to Mbabaali, the legal team was relieved when they returned to court for a mention and found that the missing file had been recovered.
However, he said they had not been given a clear explanation of where the file had been found or how it went missing in the first place.
Mbabaali also informed the court that they had filed an application seeking permission to introduce additional evidence concerning the names allegedly used by Kinyamatama.
He claimed that Kinyamatama had used different names in previous elections, including Juliet Suubi Kinyamatama, Juliet Kobusingye and Juliet Suubi Kinyamatama K.
The lawyer argued that the issue of the names was relevant to the petition and should therefore be considered by the court.
Justice Namanya adjourned the matter to September 22, 2026, when he is expected to deliver a ruling on the application. The ruling will be communicated by email.
Nalubega expressed concern over the disappearance of the petition file, saying she suspected that it could have been an attempt to interfere with the court proceedings.
She asked the court to ensure that the matter is handled fairly, saying she was relying on the judicial process to resolve her electoral dispute.
Meanwhile, at the Luwero High Court, Justice Emmy Vincent Mugabo has fixed September 30, 2026, for a ruling on an application filed by Brenda Nabukenya, whose election as District Woman Member of Parliament was challenged by Agnes Kirabo.
Nabukenya has asked the court to allow the Electoral Commission to provide other documents that she says are necessary for her defence.
Kirabo’s lawyer, Ahmed Kalule Ismael, opposed the application, arguing that some of the documents sought were not relevant or necessary for determining the petition.
Justice Mugabo directed the parties to file evidence in support of the application, together with responses and rebuttals, by September 23, 2026.
The court will deliver its ruling on the application on September 30, 2026.
The same court adjourned the main hearing of an election petition filed by Esther Nakawooya challenging Najjuma’s election to September 30, 2026.
The parties agreed to file and agree on a Joint Scheduling Memorandum on September 21.
Nakawooya petitioned the court challenging the outcome of the election, citing several alleged irregularities, including ballot stuffing, multiple voting, questionable 100 percent voter turnout at some polling stations, and alteration of results in favour of the NRM candidate.
Both Nakawooya and Najjuma are now set for a legal battle in which the court will determine the outcome of the electoral dispute.
