Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1255 EAT on Thursday 1 October 2026
State Minister for Local Government and Masaka City Woman MP Justine Nameere has asked the High Court to drop five of the seven witnesses she had listed to defend her election victory in a petition challenging the results.
Through her lawyers, Nameere asked Justice Bernard Namanya, who is hearing the petition at Masaka High Court, to withdraw the five witnesses, leaving only herself and Enoch Kugoonza, the Electoral Commission’s principal legal officer.
The witnesses dropped are Ali Kateregga, Sadick Lubega, Fatumah Namiiro, Mark Kizza and Emmanuel Kawesi.
Nameere had listed them as her polling agents and witnesses to the disputed vote recount, following which she was declared the winner.
Nameere, who contested on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, was declared the winner after a recount ordered by Masaka Chief Magistrate Albert Asiimwe.
The recount overturned the Electoral Commission’s initial declaration of National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Rose Nalubowa as the winner of the January 15 election.
The commission had initially declared Nalubowa the winner with 25,443 votes, against Nameere’s 20,324 votes.
After the recount, Nalubowa’s tally was reduced to 23,176 votes, while Nameere’s increased to 25,502, leading to her declaration as the winner.
Nalubowa later petitioned the High Court, challenging the chief magistrate’s decision and Nameere’s subsequent declaration as winner.
She argues that the recount and the subsequent declaration were conducted in violation of the law.
On Wednesday, after Nameere testified as a key defence witness, her lawyers told court that she had instructed them to withdraw five of the seven witnesses she had planned to call in support of her defence.
Earlier, Nameere exchanged heated words with Nalubowa’s lawyers and objected to their attempts to cross-examine her. The dispute prompted the trial judge to briefly suspend the proceedings to allow tensions to ease.
When court resumed, Baziira told the judge that after Nameere had testified and been cross-examined by Nalubowa’s lawyers, she reviewed her case and concluded that the remaining witnesses were no longer necessary for her defence.
Meanwhile, Nalubowa’s lawyers, Samuel Muyizzi Mulindwa and Alexander Lule, asked Kugoonza to explain why he had sworn an affidavit about the recount despite not being physically present during the exercise.
However, the chief magistrate overruled the commission’s position and ordered the recount, leaving the commission with no option but to comply with the court order.
With the defence case now closed, Justice Namanya directed the parties to file their closing submissions by October 12.
The judge said he would thereafter issue further directions on the delivery of the judgment.
-Observer
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