Faridah Nambi, the ruling NRM party’s candidate in the Kawempe North by-election, has stunned Kampala by filing a fresh election petition seeking to overturn her defeat, despite earlier withdrawing a ln appeal for a vote recount.
The petition, lodged at the High Court on Friday, challenges the victory of National Unity Platform’s Elias Nalukoola Luyimbazi, who was declared winner of the March 13 by-election.
Nambi’s legal team, Crane Associated Advocates, filed their affidavit with the Twed Tower based court in Nakasero, saying the petition was made under instructions from the NRM leadership and their client.
“The petition is premised on two general grounds,” the afffidavit reads.
“That there was non-compliance with the Parliamentary Elections Act, which affected the result in a substantial manner; and that the winner and his agents committed multiple electoral offences.”
According to the affidavit, Nambi contends that the Electoral Commission failed to return results from 14 polling stations, comprising over 16,600 registered voters, yet still declared Nalukoola as the winner with 17,939 votes.
Her lawyers argue that this omission disenfranchised thousands of voters and may have altered the outcome of the election.
In addition to the alleged procedural irregularities, the petition accuses Nalukoola and his team of committing electoral offences, including campaigning on polling day, obstructing election officials and voters, and bribery both before and during the election.
“We shall urge the court that the non-compliance and illegal practices warrant a nullification of the declared results,” Crane Associated Advocates said.
They added that the legal process would proceed in line with the prescribed timelines, including serving the petition on the EC and Nalukoola.
This move marks a dramatic shift from Nambi’s earlier position. On March 25, she formally withdrew a petition she had filed in the Kawempe Chief Magistrate’s Court seeking a vote recount.
Her lawyers then, Atwijukire Dennis Advocates, wrote to court explaining that the Electoral Commission had already gazetted Nalukoola’s victory, rendering the recount application “overtaken by events.”
"The Electoral Commission has already gazetted Mr Elias Nalukoola and so the application has been overtaken by events," the March 25 withdrawal letter read in part.
Nambi’s apparent concession at the time had signalled a cooling of the legal fight following days of post-election tension.
She even told viewers on NBS’s Frontline programme that she would return to contest the Kawempe North seat in the 2026 general elections.
But with this renewed petition, it is now clear that the NRM flagbearer is not done challenging the March by-election.
The development is expected to stir legal and political debate in a constituency seen as a stronghold for the opposition NUP.
Nalukoola, a lawyer and longtime opposition figure, has not publicly responded to the fresh petition. However, his legal team is expected to contest the allegations when served.
The Electoral Commission also faces scrutiny in court for its handling of the polling results in the 14 stations in question. It is unclear why the commission failed to return those results before declaring a winner.
Nambi’s petition adds yet another twist in Kawempe North’s turbulent electoral history, and sets the stage for a fresh courtroom battle that could determine whether Nalukoola retains his seat—or whether the constituency is headed for yet another by-election.