The High Court of Uganda has upheld the election of Hon. Fredrick Ruhindi as the Member of Parliament for Nakawa Division East Constituency in Kampala Capital City. On October 30, 2026, Justice Nshimye Allan Paul M. delivered a judgment dismissing an election petition filed by Waiswa Alex Mufumbiro against Ruhindi and the Electoral Commission. The petition sought to overturn Ruhindi's victory in the January 15, 2026 parliamentary elections.
Mufumbiro had challenged Ruhindi's declaration as the winner, citing several allegations including falsification and inflation of votes, discrepancies in declaration of results forms, ballot stuffing, and failure to tally results from 22 polling stations. However, after evaluating the evidence presented, Justice Nshimye found that the petitioner had not discharged the legal burden required to overturn the election. The court confirmed Ruhindi's parliamentary victory, as the petitioner failed to prove that alleged electoral irregularities substantially affected the outcome.
One of the major issues addressed in the judgment was the failure by the returning officer to include results from 22 polling stations in the final tally sheet. The court established that this omission constituted an electoral irregularity and could form a legitimate ground for an election petition. Nevertheless, after ascertaining and adding the votes from the 22 omitted polling stations, the court found that Ruhindi still maintained a substantial winning margin.
The court also examined allegations of vote inflation and falsification of election results, which were supported by several declaration of results forms. However, Justice Nshimye found that numerous photocopies of the DR forms presented by the petitioner were uncertified. The court held that uncertified photocopies of public documents could not be treated as authentic evidence, significantly weakening the petitioner's case.
Another critical issue was whether Ruhindi had personally participated in electoral offences, including ballot stuffing and falsification of election results. The petitioner had raised several allegations concerning irregularities at polling stations and discrepancies in election results. However, the judge found that the evidence presented did not sufficiently connect Ruhindi to the alleged electoral offences.
In dismissing the petition, Justice Nshimye emphasised the importance of the statutory burden of proof in election disputes. The court reiterated that a petitioner challenging an election must establish allegations on a balance of probabilities through credible and admissible evidence. The judge found no legal basis to overturn the Electoral Commission's declaration of Ruhindi as the winner.
In the final orders issued on October 30, 2026, Justice Nshimye dismissed Election Petition No. HCT-00-CV-EP-0012-2026, declaring Hon. Ruhindi Fredrick as the duly elected Member of Parliament for Nakawa Division East Constituency. The court's decision confirms Ruhindi's victory in the January 2026 parliamentary elections.
Key points
- The High Court of Uganda upheld the election of Hon. Fredrick Ruhindi as MP for Nakawa Division East Constituency.
- The court dismissed an election petition filed by Waiswa Alex Mufumbiro, citing lack of credible evidence.
- Justice Nshimye emphasised the importance of the statutory burden of proof in election disputes.
