Court nullifies Nankwanga’s election, declares Journalist Aminah Nalugoda as Dully Elected Woman MP Bugweri
By Our Reporter
Iganga
The High Court in Iganga has nullified the election of Ms Nankwanga Stella Maris as Bugweri District Woman Member of Parliament and declared her rival, Ms Aminah Mutesi Nalugoda, as the duly elected MP.
In a judgment delivered on November 13, 2026, Justice Simon Peter M. Kinobe held that Ms Nankwanga was not qualified for election at the time of the January 15, 2026 parliamentary elections.
Justice Kinobe found that Ms Nankwanga was not validly nominated because she lacked the requisite academic credentials to contest for the position.
Citing the Court of Appeal decision in Wakayima Musoke Nsereko, the judge said an ineligible candidate cannot be validly elected.
“The 1st Respondent was, at the time of her election, not qualified for election as Woman Member of Parliament,” Justice Kinobe ruled.
He added: “The 1st Respondent was not validly elected as Woman Member of Parliament for Bugweri District and the election is hereby set aside.”
Nalugoda Aminah Mutesi declared winner
The court declined to order a fresh election, noting the costs that would be incurred by taxpayers and the emotions and chaos a fresh election would cause among voters.
Instead, Justice Kinobe declared Ms Nalugoda, who was the first runner-up in the election, as the duly elected Woman MP for Bugweri District.
“The Petitioner, Aminah Mutesi Nalugoda, as the 1st runner-up in the elections, is hereby declared the duly elected Woman Member of Parliament for Bugweri District,” the judgment reads.
Costs
The court allowed Election Petition No. 02 of 2026, with costs to be borne equally by Ms Nankwanga and the Electoral Commission, who were the 1st and 2nd respondents respectively.
The petition was filed by Ms Nalugoda under the Constitution, the Parliamentary Elections Act, Cap 177, and the Electoral Commission Act, Cap 176.
Background
Ms Nalugoda had challenged the election of Ms Nankwanga, arguing that she did not meet the academic qualifications required to contest for the parliamentary seat.
The ruling ends a legal battle that has kept the Bugweri Woman MP seat in dispute since the January elections.
Efforts to get a comment from Ms Nankwanga by press time were still ongoing.
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