Battle for Mawokota North: Court sets Nov 13 to rule on Kyambadde, Kiyaga poll dispute

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The High Court in Mpigi has set November 13, 2026, to deliver its ruling in the election petition challenging the victory of Ms Amelia Anne Kyambadde as the Member of Parliament for Mawokota County North.

The ruling date was set on Wednesday as the court concluded hearing witnesses in the petition filed by National Unity Platform’s (NUP) Mr Hillary Innocent Kiyaga, who alleges widespread irregularities in the January 2026 general election.Following the close of the witness cross-examination phase, the presiding judge directed all parties to file written submissions to guide the court’s final decision.

Under the court’s timeline, Mr Kiyaga’s legal team has until October 14 to file his written submissions. Ms Kyambadde, the first respondent, and the Electoral Commission (EC), listed as the second respondent, were ordered to respond with their submissions by October 26. The petitioner will then file a rejoinder before the judge delivers the ruling on November 13.

Speaking after the court session, Mr Lawrence Kalamu, one of the lawyers representing the petitioner, expressed confidence in their evidence, pointing to admissions made during witness testimony regarding altered Declaration of Results (DR) forms.“We are happy because our witnesses did well. On the side of the respondents, they accepted that there were alterations on DR forms, which is actually our case,” Mr Kalamu said. “When official documents show unexplained changes in critical figures, it fundamentally undermines the integrity of the entire poll outcome.”

The alleged alterations on DR forms form the central pillar of Mr Kiyaga’s petition. During court proceedings, the petitioner’s legal team presented evidence alleging that several DR forms contained discrepancies in both figures and words. The affected entries related to the total number of ballot papers counted, rejected votes, total votes cast, and unused ballot papers, with allegations that the changes were made to favour Ms Kyambadde.

Specific polling stations cited in court include Ssali Compound Kolokolo, Bulamu Church of Uganda Primary School, Bujuuko UMEA Primary School, Tirobogo Primary School, and Buyala Church of Uganda Primary School, among others. The court also heard that polling agents representing various candidates had not signed several of the DR forms.

In defense of the election results, two witnesses, Ismael Nkata, 46, and Mary Nalukwago, testified in support of Ms Kyambadde’s victory.Mr Evarist Twinomujuni, the Mpigi District Returning Officer during the 2026 General Election, also took the stand. Under oath, Mr Twinomujuni told the court that he oversaw 213 polling stations and was responsible for the deployment of presiding officers across the constituency.During cross-examination by petitioner’s counsel Medard Lubega Ssegona, Mr Twinomujuni acknowledged that erasures and figure changes appeared on DR forms from several polling stations, including Mbazzi Mosque and Nalubugo Playground. Mention was also made of presiding officer Ms Benita Naluyima in connection with some of the contested documents.

“It is true there were corrections made on some forms in both figures and words,” Mr Twinomujuni testified under cross-examination. “However, these were administrative adjustments made at the polling stations by presiding officers to rectify clerical errors, not to manipulate results.”When pressed by Counsel Ssegona on why DR forms lacking candidate agents’ signatures were included in the final tally, the returning officer defended the decision.

“The absence of an agent’s signature does not automatically invalidate a Declaration of Results form,” Mr Twinomujuni told the court. “Agents sometimes choose not to sign or leave before the tallying concludes, but the law allows us to process the results provided the presiding officer has duly certified them.”With the hearing of oral evidence concluded, the court adjourned the matter as all legal teams prepare their final written arguments ahead of the November 13 verdict.

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