Outgoing Nakaseke South Member of Parliament, Paulson Luttamaguzi Ssemakula, has said he will not challenge the results of the parliamentary elections held in Nakaseke South on January 15th in court, despite claiming he has evidence that the election was rigged.
Speaking during Sanyuka Morning Xpress on Thursday, Luttamaguzi said he chose not to pursue a legal challenge even though he believes the outcome did not reflect the will of voters.
“I will not go to court. I have the evidence, but I will not go to court. I survived,” he said.
According to the official tally released by the Electoral Commission of Uganda, Charles Kawuma Nsereko of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) was declared the winner of the Nakaseke South County parliamentary seat with 30,279 votes, defeating the incumbent Luttamaguzi, who garnered 18,123 votes in the January 2026 elections.
Despite the official results, Luttamaguzi insisted that the outcome did not reflect the electorate’s choice.
“We invest a lot in politics, but I felt so much pain. I was rigged,” he said.
Luttamaguzi also reflected on his background before joining politics, noting that he had worked with international organizations prior to entering public service.
“Before politics, I worked with the EU and the UN, and now I regard myself as a farmer,” he said.
Luttamaguzi added that many of the statements he made during the campaign period were influenced by the prevailing political environment at the time.
“During the campaigns, I spoke because of the environment that existed at the time,” he said.
Luttamaguzi also addressed the situation surrounding former National Unity Platform(NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, who has reportedly been in hiding since the recently concluded general presidential and parliamentary elections.
“What you call hiding, to us, is strategy. Why are you worried about his hiding? Why is there an army at his home?” he said.
Luttamaguzi further stated that, in his view, the opposition believes it won the election but was prevented from assuming power.
“We won. Ugandans gave us the mandate to lead them, but the system could not allow it. Regarding concerns about demanding our victory, even our silence means we are demanding the mandate — it is a strategy,” he said.
Luttamaguzi added that he remains satisfied with Kyagulanyi’s current approach.
“I am satisfied with wherever Robert Kyagulanyi is. We know the days are not normal,” he said.
Kyagulanyi’s absence follows the January 15, 2026 general election, after which he publicly rejected the results, describing them as “fake” and accusing the Electoral Commission of Uganda of manipulating the process.
The two time presidential candidate alleged that results were announced without the mandatory Declaration of Results (DR) forms, although no substantial evidence has been publicly presented to support those claims.
On January 16, 2026, Kyagulanyi reportedly left his residence in Magere and went into hiding following what he described as a military raid on his home.
Since then, he has continued communicating with supporters through social media, maintaining that state security agencies are targeting him — allegations that the government has consistently denied.
Days after going into hiding, Kyagulanyi also claimed that his home had been raided, family members tortured, and his wife publicly humiliated.
Despite his objections to the election outcome, Kyagulanyi has stated that he will not challenge the results in court, citing a lack of trust in the judiciary. Instead, he has called on supporters to engage in peaceful protests, insisting the election was stolen.
Government officials have dismissed accusations of political persecution.
The Minister for Information and Communications Technology and National Guidance, Chris Baryomunsi, recently reiterated that the government has no plans to arrest or harm the opposition leader.
Baryomunsi was responding to remarks by the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations (SPA/SO), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, which appeared to suggest that Kyagulanyi could be pursued.
According to the minister, security deployments at Kyagulanyi’s residence were intended to prevent the premises from becoming what he described as a “hub for public disorder.”
