EC Dismisses Petition Against Nakawa Division West Nominations

The Electoral Commission has dismissed a petition filed by parliamentary aspirant Ivan Bwowe seeking to nullify the nomination of seven contenders for the Nakawa Division West parliamentary seat, ruling that his complaint was without merit and that the nominations were lawfully conducted.

In a decision a November 21st, 2025 decision, EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama said the Commission arrived at the conclusion after considering submissions from Bwowe and responses from the candidates’ lawyers during a hearing held on November 10. Bwowe had accused the Commission of illegally nominating his rivals under what he termed a “non-existent” constituency called Nakawa West, instead of the officially recognised Nakawa Division West. 

His petition targeted incumbent MP and Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, Nasasira Happy, Okuye Felix Ephraim, Okumu Vincent Norbert, Ssenyonyi Joel Besekezi, Kyambadde Wilberforce, Burora Herbert Anderson, and Rwamiti Apuuli. All were nominated between October 22–23 at the EC offices in Ntinda. Bwowe, the Patriotic Front for Freedom candidate, had asked the EC to declare Nakawa West nonexistent, cancel the seven nominations, and recognise him as the only duly nominated contender—effectively handing him the seat unopposed. 

However, the Commission ruled that there was no evidence to support Bwowe’s claims. Justice Byabakama noted that although some nomination papers bore the name Nakawa West, all candidates—including Bwowe—personally filled and signed EC Control Forms correctly designating the constituency as Nakawa Division West. The Commission further established that all candidates submitted campaign programmes showing plans to campaign within the same geographical area, confirming they were contesting for the same legally recognised constituency.

Justice Byabakama also pointed out that by October 31, 2025, all candidates and their agents had already harmonised a joint campaign programme before the Kampala Returning Officer, and the harmonised schedule reflected the correct constituency name. Therefore, by the time Bwowe lodged his petition on November 6, the naming inconsistency had already been corrected. 

In its ruling, the EC also faulted Bwowe for presenting the naming issue as unique to his rivals, noting that his own campaign materials used the names Nakawa West and Nakawa Division West interchangeably. Posters presented during the hearing showed Bwowe referring to the same constituency as Nakawa West. 

“In view of the foregoing, the Commission, under MIN. COMP 042/2025, resolved that the complaint had no merit and the same stands dismissed,” the ruling reads. “Accordingly, the Commission upholds the decision of the Returning Officer, Kampala, in nominating the respondents.” The decision follows an affidavit by Ssenyonyi dismissing Bwowe’s claims as baseless. 

He acknowledged that his papers had referred to Nakawa West but said it was a clerical short form, which the EC had already rectified. He argued that his intention was always to contest in Nakawa Division West, a position now supported by the Commission. Other contenders, including NRM’s Herbert Anderson Burora, earlier dismissed the petition as illogical, insisting that the EC could not have nominated candidates for a non-existent constituency. 

The ruling now clears the way for all eight candidates to participate in what has become one of Kampala’s most competitive parliamentary contests ahead of the January 15, 2026, elections. The race features a diverse lineup of contenders, including former journalists, TV presenters, an RDC, and lawyer-politicians. The EC has formally notified the Kampala Returning Officer and all parties involved. 

Bwowe, a former Makerere University Guild President, previously contested for Buyamba County, Rakai District as an independent in 2016 but lost to Amos Mandela. He later petitioned the High Court in Masaka, challenging Mandela’s academic credentials because his UNEB documents bore a different name. Justice Lawrence Gidudu nullified Mandela’s victory, but the Court of Appeal, led by then Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma, later reinstated it.