Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament-elect Justine Nameere has defended the court-ordered vote recount that handed her victory, arguing that the exercise corrected what she described as widespread tallying discrepancies that had initially disenfranchised voters.
Appearing on NBS Barometer on Tuesday, Nameere said errors affected nearly 30 per cent of the vote, prompting her to seek redress in court.
“There were serious tally discrepancies affecting almost 30 per cent of the vote. That is why I went to court. I fought for our earlier stolen victory and brought it back home,” she said.
Her remarks come amid escalating legal and political tensions following a controversial ruling by the Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court, which overturned the earlier declaration of National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Rose Nalubowa and instead declared National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s Nameere the duly elected Woman Member of Parliament for Masaka City.
Nalubowa had been declared winner by the Electoral Commission on January 16, 2026, after polling 25,443 votes, ahead of Nameere who garnered 20,334 votes. Democratic Front’s Juliet Kakande received 6,343 votes, while independent candidate Sauya Nanyonga polled 6,196 votes.
Nameere immediately challenged the results, citing irregularities in the tallying process. Central to her petition was the claim that results from 11 of Masaka City’s 314 polling stations were excluded from the final tally, a discrepancy she argued materially affected the outcome.
On January 30, 2026, Chief Magistrate Albert Asiimwe ordered a recount of votes from all polling stations, cautioning electoral officials to ensure the integrity of ballot boxes presented before court.
The recount, conducted over the weekend and into Monday morning, concluded on February 1, 2026, when the magistrate announced revised results showing Nameere with 25,502 votes, overtaking Nalubowa who dropped to 23,176 votes.
Kakande’s tally fell to 6,136 votes, while Nanyonga’s reduced to 5,921 votes.
The ruling has since drawn sharp criticism from legal practitioners, who argue that the recount contravened provisions of the Parliamentary Elections Act, 2005 and long-standing judicial precedent.
Lawyers pointed to Sections 52, 55 and 112 of the Act, which regulate the timing of recount applications, require the integrity of ballot boxes, and bar courts from handling parliamentary election disputes on weekends or public holidays.
Court proceedings revealed that one ballot box had a broken seal, six were reportedly empty, and two contained votes exclusively for the NRM candidate.
Despite these irregularities, Magistrate Asiimwe ruled that the disputed boxes be excluded and the remaining ballots counted.
Legal experts argue that courts have consistently held that recounts cannot proceed where ballot boxes are found to be tampered with, citing at least six High Court decisions affirming this principle.
“This decision ignores clear provisions of the Parliamentary Elections Act and long-standing judicial guidance on recounts involving tampered ballot boxes,” said lawyer Jude Byamukama.
In his ruling, Magistrate Asiimwe acknowledged the irregularities but said he could not deny voters justice on the basis of what he described as outdated laws and earlier court decisions.
“I cannot deny the people of Masaka justice because of old laws and earlier court decisions,” he said.
The ruling has angered sections of the public in Masaka, with residents waking up to a reversal of results that had already been officially announced by the Electoral Commission.
Uganda Law Society Vice President Anthony Asiimwe warned that the decision, if left unchallenged, could undermine electoral integrity.
“If this decision is allowed to stand, it creates a loophole that can be abused to distort election outcomes,” he said, calling for urgent judicial intervention.
Judiciary spokesperson Eremye Mawanda said the institution had not yet reviewed the ruling in detail but emphasised that the appellate process remains open.
“We have not yet analysed the decision as the judiciary. However, any party that is dissatisfied with the ruling is free to appeal to the High Court,” he said.
As legal debate intensifies, political tensions continue to rise in Masaka, with leaders from across the political divide questioning the implications of the ruling for electoral credibility.
For Nameere, however, the recount represents what she describes as the restoration of the people’s will, arguing that it marks a new precedent in modern Ugandan politics.
