The High Court in Mpigi has nullified the election of National Unity Platform (NUP) legislator Godfrey Saazi as Member of Parliament for Gomba East and ordered the Electoral Commission to organise a fresh election.
Justice Jamson Karemani delivered the ruling on Monday, October 26, 2026, after allowing an election petition filed by Henry Harris Kalule Kirumira, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate who challenged Saazi’s victory in the January 15 parliamentary elections.
Saazi was declared the winner with 10,907 votes against Kirumira’s 9,156, giving him a majority of 1,751 votes.
Kirumira challenged the election over alleged irregularities, including the omission of results from four polling stations and disruptions at nine others where electoral materials were reportedly destroyed.
The court found that results from Buyana Trading Centre, Tiginya SDA Primary School, Kiziba Trading Centre and Buyinja Butoole Primary School B had not been included in the final tally, despite the availability of declaration forms.
The four polling stations had a combined total of 959 registered voters. According to the available declaration forms, Kirumira received 453 votes while Saazi obtained 366.
Including the omitted results would have increased Kirumira’s tally to 9,609 votes and Saazi’s to 11,273. However, Justice Karemani found that the omission alone would not have changed the outcome because Saazi would still have won.
The decisive issue was the disruption of voting at nine other polling stations, where the destruction of electoral materials prevented the court from establishing how 4,387 registered voters had voted.
The affected stations included Ttaba Trading Centre, Buyebeyi C.O.U, Kimbo Catholic Church, Serumbe UMEA Primary School, Jumbi C.O.U, Kindimunda Playground and St Peter Primary School in Ngeribalya.
The court found that the irregularities at the affected polling stations substantially affected the election and made it impossible to determine their impact on the final results.
Saazi disputed allegations
In defending his election, Saazi argued that the poll was substantially free and fair and reflected the will of the majority of voters.
He denied responsibility for the disruptions and accused Kirumira, his agents and supporters of involvement in the incidents that led to the destruction of electoral materials.
The Electoral Commission and the Gomba District Returning Officer attributed the omission of results from the four polling stations to a technical glitch discovered after polling. They maintained that the omission did not substantially affect the election outcome.
In its final orders, the court set aside Saazi’s election, declared the Gomba East parliamentary seat vacant and directed the Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh poll.
The parties were ordered to bear their own legal costs.
The Electoral Commission is expected to organise the process for electing a new representative for Gomba East in accordance with the court’s ruling.
