National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, has warned President Museveni against using the judiciary to suppress opposition victories, following a High Court ruling that nullified the election of NUP’s Elias Nalukoola Luyimbazi.
“Judge Namanya Benard might overturn Hon. Nalukoola's election victory, but Museveni must know that he can never stop the wheels of change,” Kyagulanyi said in a statement issued on Monday.
Earlier today, Justice Bernard Namanya of the High Court in Kampala ruled that Nalukoola’s 2021 election was marred by illegal campaign activity on polling day and disruptions at at least 14 polling stations.
The court found that these irregularities materially affected the outcome, and therefore ordered Nalukoola’s removal from Parliament.
Nalukoola, a prominent human rights lawyer and government critic, has vowed to appeal the decision. His election followed the death of Muhammad Ssegirinya, another NUP legislator, and was widely seen as a reaffirmation of support for the opposition in Kawempe North.
NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya described the ruling as “a day of infamy,” saying it highlights selective justice and the erosion of judicial independence. “The judiciary continues to be used to silence the voices of change,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Political analysts note a troubling pattern in which several opposition victories have been overturned in the courts, often on what critics call inconsistent or overly technical grounds.
Many within the opposition view these rulings as part of a broader effort to reduce their presence in Parliament and reverse recent democratic progress.
“The nullification of Nalukoola’s win is not happening in isolation. We are seeing a systematic effort to use legal technicalities to shrink opposition space and reverse democratic gains.”
NUP maintains that Nalukoola’s removal is not merely about one seat but about subverting the will of voters in urban opposition strongholds.
Nalukoola, who has consistently challenged state abuse, police brutality, and electoral fraud, said he is hopeful that the Court of Appeal will overturn the “absurd decision.”
Legal proceedings are expected to begin in the coming months.
“This is about more than Nalukoola,” Rubongoya added. “It’s about defending democracy from creeping authoritarianism disguised in court judgments.”
