The High Court in Iganga has nullified the election of Stella Maris Nankwanga as Bugweri District Woman Member of Parliament and declared her rival, Aminah Mutesi Nalugoda, the duly elected representative.
Justice Simon Peter Kinobe ruled that Nankwanga did not possess the required academic qualifications at the time of her nomination for the January 15, 2026 general election.
The court found that her Post Basic Diploma in Public Health did not satisfy the academic requirements for nomination because the corrected version of the document was submitted after the nomination deadline.
The ruling overturns the election results in which Nankwanga secured 15,151 votes against Nalugoda’s 13,683, a difference of 1,468 votes.
Nalugoda had challenged Nankwanga’s election, arguing that she did not meet the legal requirements to contest for the parliamentary seat.
By declaring Nalugoda duly elected, the court effectively awarded her the seat despite finishing second in the original election results.
The decision places renewed focus on the academic qualifications required of parliamentary candidates and the importance of meeting nomination requirements within the timelines set by the Electoral Commission.
The High Court also handled other parliamentary election petitions, with some victories upheld after petitioners failed to provide sufficient evidence to support allegations of electoral malpractice.
The Bugweri ruling is among the decisions arising from challenges to the 2026 parliamentary elections.
