Court Dismisses Election Petition Against Kawempe Mayor Serunjoji

The High Court in Kampala has dismissed an election petition challenging the election of Kawempe Division Mayor Emmanuel Sserunjoji. The court ruled that the petition failed to present a valid cause of action.

Faruk Bulime, a former contestant in the Kawempe Mayoral Division race, filed the petition, alleging that Sserunjoji had not submitted the required supporting signatures from voters before his nomination.

According to court records, the election took place on January 27, 2026, and the Electoral Commission announced the results on May 16, 2026, establishing the statutory period within which an election petition could be submitted.

The court noted that Bulime filed his petition on May 29, 2026, at 11:06 a.m., which was the 14th and final day of the filing period. Subsequently, on June 14, Bulime submitted an amended petition without first obtaining permission from the court. He claimed the amendment was necessary because a page containing crucial evidence had been omitted during the scanning and uploading of the election documents to the electronic court system.

However, Justice Nabakooza rejected this explanation, stating that the amended petition introduced new allegations regarding compliance with electoral laws and complaints that were allegedly made to the Electoral Commission prior to the election. The judge indicated that these changes went beyond simply restoring a missing page and effectively introduced new grounds for challenge. Filing them without court permission would prejudice the defense and undermine the right to a fair hearing.

Justice Nabakooza pointed out that Bulime had filed his original petition on the last day of the statutory period, leaving no opportunity for further amendments without securing the court’s permission. Consequently, the petition has been dismissed, and the court ordered Bulime to pay costs to Sserunjoji.