Faridah Nambi Kigongo’s election petition challenging Elias Nalukoola’s victory in the Kawempe North by-election may appear, on the surface, to be a routine electoral dispute.
But a closer look reveals a calculated legal and political play — one that goes beyond nullifying results and leans towards securing a parliamentary seat through court declaration.
Nambi, daughter to the National Resistance Movement’s vice chairman Al Hajj Moses Kigongo, initially appeared to concede defeat after the March 13 by-election.
Nalukoola of the National Unity Platform (NUP) won by a margin of over 8,700 votes — 17,764 to Nambi’s revised tally of 9,058. Appearing on NBS Television’s Frontline, Nambi signaled readiness to regroup and prepare for a 2026 run.
But that was just chapter one.
Within weeks, she withdrew her petition citing the gazettement of Nalukoola’s victory. Then came the unexpected twist — she filed a fresh petition seeking the nullification of the results.
In court, she alleged that results from over a dozen polling stations in her strongholds were ignored and claimed she had "16,000 votes under the table."
That claim, even if difficult to verify, points toward a strategy that suggests Nambi is after more than a rerun. In fact, the tight timelines ahead of the 2026 general election make it increasingly impractical for a by-election to be held and for Parliament to accommodate another electoral cycle.
That Nambi is pursuing this petition at all — knowing well the time constraints — hints that her real goal is to be declared the duly elected Member of Parliament.
There is precedent, albeit rare, for courts not only nullifying election results but also declaring petitioners as winners.
In 2001, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Peter Nyombi in Nakasongola, declaring him MP after nullifying Muruli Mukasa’s election.
More recently, in a 2017 ruling, the High Court nullified the 2016 election of Wakayima Musoke Nsereko and declared NRM’s Robert Kasule Sebunya the duly elected MP for Nansana Municipality — citing the former’s ineligibility as he wasn’t a registered voter.
These rare but real outcomes offer Nambi a viable legal path — if she can convince the court that the Electoral Commission not only failed in its duty but that she rightfully won the election.
But her path is also undermined by hard numbers. With a voter turnout of only 14.4%, the math becomes less forgiving.
For Nambi to assert that she had 16,000 untallied votes would mean an improbable 100% voter turnout — with every single ballot cast in her favour — in the 14 disputed polling stations.
At Pentecostal Church in Kiganda Zone, for instance, where Nambi had her strongest presence, she managed only 95 votes to Nalukoola’s 130. Even with perfect turnout, the arithmetic does not tilt in her favour.
Ordering fresh elections in Kawempe North — a politically volatile urban constituency — presents serious logistical and financial implications.
Conducting a new poll would require significant resources from the Electoral Commission, disrupt the area’s security equilibrium, and re-burden already fatigued voters.
Here is a constituency where the last NRM person to win was Al-Hajj Meddie Ssozi Kaggwa - more than 20 years ago. At a time the opposition stronghold has tripled, Nambi believes she can win!
Previous polls in Kawempe have been marred by incidents of violence, military presence, and voter intimidation.
Asking voters to return to polling stations in such a climate raises ethical and security concerns — especially for a contest with an increasingly legalistic tone.
The proximity to the 2026 elections only compounds the issue. Organising fresh polls in such a tight window — possibly overlapping with early preparations for the next general election — stretches institutions and adds administrative bloat.
It’s not only costly; it’s politically and practically unsustainable.
To achieve her goal, Nambi must do more than poke holes in the process — she must convince the court that the Electoral Commission’s errors were so egregious that they altered the outcome of the election.
And not just that: she must prove that she actually won the majority of lawful votes cast.
This is a much higher bar than simply nullifying a result. The evidence must be overwhelming and leave no doubt as to the rightful winner.
If she falls short of that burden, the best outcome she can hope for is a by-election — which, as explored above, might not happen at all due to time and logistical constraints.
Nambi’s petition is more than a courtroom battle; it is a strategic positioning move. With the NRM machinery behind her and her father’s political influence not to be underestimated, this petition tests both the strength of Uganda’s electoral jurisprudence and the elasticity of political patience in Kawempe North.
As court proceedings unfold, one question looms large: is this about correcting an electoral injustice — or about seizing a seat that slipped away?
Either way, Faridah Nambi is not going quietly.