Drama in court as Nambi’s witnesses defend Nalukoola

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The Kawempe North byelection petition has attracted more drama after the National Resistance Movement candidate, Faridah Nambi's witnesses, defended MP Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola.

The two witnesses – Nathan Kayemba Muwanguzi and George William Mawumbe – have retracted bribery claims against Nalukoola, where they had sworn an affidavit as part of Nambi's evidence.

However, this has not gone down well with Nambi’s legal team, led by Ahmed Mukasa Kalule, who accuse Nalukoola of tampering with witnesses.

On April 30, 2025, Kalule told Justice Bernard Namanya of the Civil Division of the High Court that Nalukoola and his lawyers convinced their two witnesses to retract bribery allegations against the legislator.

“The act of approaching and convincing our witnesses to make them retract their statements is unlawful and is in violation of Rule 19 of the Advocates’ Professional Code of Conduct,” Kalule stated.

However, Nalukoola’s lawyer, Samuel Muyizzi, denied the allegations, stating that it would be unreasonable to dismiss witnesses who come forward claiming coercion.

Muyizzi emphasised that election petitions are determined through thorough investigations, urging the court to conduct one.

Court resumes on Monday, May 5, 2025.

Petition

In a petition dated April 11, 2025, Nambi accuses Nalukoola of committing several electoral offences, including bribery of voters with money and other household items, campaigning on polling day and obstructing electoral officials.

In rebuttal, Nalukoola asserts that the general voter turnout in respect of the impugned election from the 83 polling stations considered by the EC was at 14.4%.

“Whether or not the results from the impugned polling stations are included, going by the voting trend and patterns in the general election, I would still be the winning candidate in so far as the margin would not be affected substantially even if the petitioner had won in the majority of the impugned polling station,” Nalukoola contends.

Nalukoola denies that he did not campaign amongst the voters who turned up to vote at Mbogo Primary School playground, or any other places, as alleged by Nambi on the polling day.

Court documents indicate that Nambi, who was the first runner-up among the ten contenders, initially secured 8,593 votes, but these votes later increased to 9,058, as indicated in the notice published in the Uganda Gazette by the Electoral Commission.

The election was won by Nalukoola, who had received 17,764 votes, but was later revised to 17,939 according to the Gazette notice published.

The other candidates include: Sadat Mukiibi aka Khalifah Aganaga (FDC), Henry Kasacca Mubiru (DP), Ismail Mubiru (DP), Ismail Musiitwa (PPP), Muhammed Lusswa Luwemba (independent), Hanifah Karadi Murewa (independent), Mahamood Mutuzindwa (independent), Moses Nsereko (independent) and Stanley Edward Maitum Engena (independent).

On March 24, 2025, the EC published the results in the Uganda Gazette, officially confirming Nalukoola as the duly elected Member for Kawempe North.