Masaka Chief Magistrate Albert Asiimwe has declared the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s Justine Nameere as the newly elected Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament following a contentious vote recount that lasted four days.
Announcing the results in the early hours of Monday morning, the court declared Nameere the winner with 25,502 votes, defeating National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Rose Nalubowa, who garnered 23,176 votes.
Democratic Front’s candidate and incumbent MP Juliet Nakakande came third with 6,136 votes, while independent candidate Sauya Nanyonga finished last with 5,921 votes.
The recount
The recount followed a petition filed by Nameere, in which she accused electoral officials of serious irregularities at 11 out of the 314 polling stations in Masaka City. After reviewing the petition, Chief Magistrate Asiimwe ordered a recount in the disputed polling stations.
However, the exercise was marred by controversy after more than five ballot boxes were found with tampered seals. Despite this, the Chief Magistrate ordered the recount to proceed, excluding the affected ballot boxes.
This decision angered Nalubowa and her legal team, who walked out of the tally centre, accusing the court of violating electoral laws and undermining the integrity of the process.
The recount began on Friday, January 30, and was conducted under heavy security until late Sunday night, when Nameere was officially declared the winner.
The ruling has sparked strong reactions from opposition leaders and supporters, setting the stage for further legal and political battles over the Masaka City Woman MP seat.
