Court Upholds James Kakooza's Election As Older Persons MP

The High Court in Wakiso has upheld the election of James Kakooza as Central Region Representative of Older Persons to Parliament for the 2026–2031 term. The court dismissed a petition that accused him of bribing members of the Electoral College to secure victory. Justice George Okello ruled that the petitioner, Sendi Mary Amanyire, failed to present credible and sufficient evidence linking Kakooza to the alleged electoral malpractice.

Amanyire had alleged that Kakooza committed electoral offences by providing accommodation, food, refreshments and transport to members of the Electoral College. She also accused him of promising to arrange a meeting between the delegates and President Yoweri Museveni after the election. The petitioner further alleged that Kakooza used radio announcements and WhatsApp messages to mobilise Electoral College members to attend a meeting at the NRM Secretariat in Kyadondo.

However, Justice Okello found gaps in the evidence supporting the allegations. On the alleged radio announcement, the judge noted that Amanyire had not attached a recording of the CBS Radio announcement to her affidavit. One of her witnesses, Matovu Hussein Bukenya, who claimed to have heard it on January 30, 2026, admitted during cross-examination that he did not hear Kakooza's name mentioned.

The court also faulted the petitioner for failing to provide independent evidence to corroborate the claims. This included recordings of the NRM meeting, minutes, hotel receipts, payment vouchers, or testimony from MOSA Courts staff and the drivers who allegedly transported the delegates. Electoral College members received 600,000 shillings each from the Electoral Commission to facilitate their accommodation, meals, refreshments and transport during the election period.

Justice Okello observed that the two witnesses gave materially contradictory accounts, particularly concerning who communicated the accommodation arrangements and made the alleged promises. The judge noted that Walugembe repeatedly stated in his affidavit that the delegates had been informed about the arrangements but did not identify Kakooza as the person who communicated them. Matovu, however, directly attributed the arrangements and promises to Kakooza.

The judge referred to Section 87 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, which defines bribery to include giving money, gifts or other consideration to influence a registered voter to vote for or refrain from voting for a candidate. He also cited previous decisions that examined the requirements for proving electoral bribery and establishing a candidate's responsibility for offences committed by agents.

Despite dismissing the allegations, the judge expressed concern about the timing of the January 31 meeting at the NRM Secretariat, which took place shortly before polling. He urged NRM officials to examine their conduct during future electoral processes to avoid circumstances that could raise suspicion about the fairness of elections. The court ordered each party to bear its own costs, taking into account the advanced ages of the parties.

Key points

• The High Court upheld James Kakooza's election as Central Region Representative of Older Persons to Parliament.
• The court dismissed a petition alleging electoral malpractice by Kakooza.
• The judge urged NRM officials to examine their conduct during future electoral processes.