Court Blocks Kamuli Municipality MP Vote Recount

The High Court in Jinja has blocked a vote recount for the Kamuli Municipality Member of Parliament election.

The decision follows an application by the Kamuli Municipality Member of Parliament-elect, Mastula Namatovu, asking the high court to halt the vote recount that had earlier been ordered by the Kamuli Chief Magistrate’s Court.

The recount application had been filed by the incumbent MP, Baroda Kayanga, who challenged the declaration of Namatovu as the duly elected parliamentary representative, citing alleged irregularities in the declaration of results.

According to the Electoral Commission tally, Namatovu won the seat with 8,582 votes, followed by Aziz Luwano with 3,389 votes, while Kayanga came third with 3,353 votes. Kayanga argued that there were discrepancies in the declaration of results forms used to announce Namatovu’s victory and maintained that only a recount could establish the true outcome of the election.

On Tuesday, Kamuli Chief Magistrate Paul Owino granted Kayanga’s application and directed the Electoral Commission to bring the sealed ballot boxes for a public recount. Kayanga welcomed the ruling, saying it would allow all candidates to accept the outcome once the contents of the ballot boxes were verified through due process. 

However, Namatovu expressed dissatisfaction with the magistrate’s decision, arguing that the application for a recount had been filed out of time and that the court failed to adequately consider her objections. She further alleged the involvement of a powerful National Resistance Movement (NRM) figure seeking to overturn her victory in favour of an independent candidate.

Namatovu subsequently filed an application for review at the Jinja High Court, which was granted.

In a notice issued by the Deputy Registrar, Robert Mukanza, the High Court directed the Kamuli Chief Magistrate to immediately forward the case file for disposal before a trial judge.