The High Court in Mpigi has nullified the election of Gomba East Member of Parliament Godfrey Ssaazi of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and ordered the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct a fresh election.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Jameson Karemani, the court ruled that the disruption of voting and destruction of electoral materials at nine polling stations substantially affected the outcome of the January 15, 2026, parliamentary election.
Ssaazi was declared the winner of the contest against his National Resistance Movement (NRM) rival, Kalule, who subsequently petitioned the court, citing electoral irregularities, including the omission of results from four polling stations and the disruption of voting at other locations.
In his judgment, Justice Karemani noted that the parties had agreed that results from four polling stations had been omitted and that the available figures should be included in the final tally.
According to the declaration forms presented in court, Kalule received 453 votes from the four polling stations, while Ssaazi garnered 366.
However, the judge ruled that the destruction of electoral materials and disruption of voting at nine polling stations had a substantial effect on the election outcome.
Justice Karemani observed that the votes from the affected polling stations could not be established, leaving the electoral choices of 4,387 registered voters unknown.
The court concluded that the non-compliance with electoral laws and principles had substantially affected the results, making it impossible to establish the will of voters in the affected areas.
Consequently, Justice Karemani set aside Ssaazi’s election, declared the Gomba East parliamentary seat vacant and directed the Electoral Commission to organise a fresh poll.
The ruling paves the way for another parliamentary contest in Gomba East, where voters will have an opportunity to elect their representative in a fresh election.
