JUST IN! Kampala High Court Rejects Kamuli Municipality MP Vote Recount

The High Court of Uganda sitting in Kampala on Friday, the 20th of February 2026 dismissed an order for a vote recount in the Kamuli Municipality parliamentary race and has upheld the victory of Masitula Namatovu of the National Resistance Movement.

In his ruling, Justice Bernard Namanya allowed a revision application filed by the Electoral Commission of Uganda together with Namatovu, challenging a decision of the Kamuli Chief Magistrate’s Court that had ordered a recount of votes.

The case arose from the January 15th, 2026 general elections for the Directly Elected Member of Parliament for Kamuli Municipality.

Court records show that Namatovu garnered 8,582 votes, defeating independent candidates Azizi Luwano, who polled 3,389 votes, and Baroda Kayanga, who received 3,353 votes.

However, on January 27th, 2026, Kayanga filed an application before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kamuli seeking a recount, a request that was granted by Paul Abdonson Owino.

Dissatisfied with that decision, the Electoral Commission and Namatovu petitioned the High Court, arguing that the Chief Magistrate had acted illegally by entertaining an application filed outside the mandatory seven-day period provided for under the Parliamentary Elections Act.

They told court that election results were declared on January 16th, 2026, and therefore the recount application filed on January 27th was out of time.

They further argued that even if the application had been properly filed, the recount order was issued beyond the legally required four-day period.

In his decision, Justice Namanya examined the statutory timelines and rejected Kayanga’s claim that results were declared on January 19th, 2026.

The judge accepted the explanation of the Returning Officer that January 16th was the official declaration date, while January 19th only reflected the date when a copy of the declaration was issued.

Justice Namanya ruled that the recount application ought to have been filed by January 23rd, 2026, and not January 27th.

He has now set aside the February 3rd, 2026 ruling of the Kamuli Chief Magistrate’s Court and confirmed Masitula Namatovu of the ruling NRM party as the duly elected.