Rubongoya to Appeal Kampala Central Result in Court

National Unity Platform Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya is set to file an election petition challenging Minister Minsa Kabanda’s win in Kampala Central, citing alleged irregularities, identity disputes, and electoral malpractice at multiple polling stations.

David Lewis Rubongoya, the secretary general of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and former parliamentary aspirant, has refused to concede defeat following his loss to Minister of Kampala Minsa Kabanda in the January 2026 general elections.

Impeccable sources at Makerere Kavule have revealed to the Nile Post that Rubongoya isfinalising an election petition against the Electoral Commission, the Kampala Central returning officer, and Kabanda, arguing that she was not validly nominated and was therefore ineligible to contest.

According to petition documents reviewed by Nile Post, Rubongoya requested copies of Kabanda’s nomination documents to assess her eligibility, but claims the Electoral Commission only provided them a month after polling day, on February 26.

“She failed to maintain one consistent official identity throughout the election process, contrary to the law, and flouted provisions of Section 4(5)(a) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, Cap 177,” the petition states.

Rubongoya contends that the dispute arises from inconsistencies between the National Identification and Registration Authority, where she is registered as Minsa Kabanda, and her nomination forms, which listed her as Minsa Kabanda Nabbengo, contrary to her deed poll of June 14, 2021. He adds that her sponsoring party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), also submitted forms bearing the name Minsa Kabanda.

The petition further alleges that the Electoral Commission wrongly declared Kabanda the winner with 22,280 votes, compared to Rubongoya’s 18,211.

Rubongoya claims electoral malpractice occurred in Kololo II Parish, Nakasero II, and Kisenyi I, where he alleges multiple voting and ballot stuffing.

In Kisenyi II, at ten polling stations in the Summit View area, he asserts that Kabanda’s supporters, allegedly aided by Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and police personnel, engaged in repeated voting.

He also alleges that his supporters faced continuous harassment by security personnel, forcing frequent replacement of polling agents and undermining election oversight. In Kisenyi Parish, he claims the process was overtaken by “goons” supporting Kabanda.

Rubongoya also challenges the placement of 23 polling stations within heavily secured areas of Nakasero II and Kololo II, contending that military presence created a tense environment that limited voter access. He argues that 12,372 votes from these stations should not be counted as free and fair.

The petition seeks to have Kabanda’s nomination declared invalid and her election nullified. Rubongoya is also requesting to be declared the duly elected Member of Parliament for Kampala Central or, alternatively, for a fresh election under the Parliamentary Elections Act, Cap 177.

He maintains that excluding votes from allegedly fraudulent polling stations would result in his victory.

Sources indicate that Rubongoya is in the final stages of filing the petition, awaiting the court registrar’s signature before formal submission.