Rubongoya going to court over Kampala MP elections

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Unity Platform (NUP) secretary general, Lewis Rubongoya plans to challenge in court Minister Minsa Kabanda’s victory as Kampala Central Member of Parliament.

Rubongoya, who stood on an NUP ticket, was defeated by Kabanda, the NRM candidate, in the January 15 parliamentary elections. According to the Electoral Commission, Kabanda scored 22,332 votes, while Rubongoya had 18,242 votes.

According to Rubongoya, the election was marred by irregularities, including ballot stuffing and rigging in favor of Kabanda, who currently serves as Minister for Kampala.

He claims he won 17 out of the 20 parishes in Kampala Central Division, but that Kabanda influenced electoral officials to “rob” his victory.

Rubongoya further accused Kabanda of colluding with security personnel at Summit View polling stations, including Nakasero State House, to inflate votes and secure an illegal win.

He said his polling agents were deliberately denied access to these stations to facilitate the alleged rigging. As a result, Rubongoya announced that he is pursuing legal action against Kabanda’s victory to ensure the will of Kampala Central voters is respected.

Though he admitted there is no guarantee of justice in the courts, he intends to submit the necessary evidence to have the case documented.

Efforts to get a comment from Minsa Kabanda were unsuccessful, as she did not answer calls or respond to messages. Meanwhile, NUP’s Kampala Lord Mayor winner, Ronald Balimwezo, and MP-elect Paul Mwiru (Jinja South West) have criticized the Electoral Commission over alleged irregularities during vote tallying, which they say deprived many NUP candidates of victory.

Mwiru claimed that the NRM candidate, aided by electoral commission officials, “robbed” NUP of the Jinja City Mayor win by falsifying declaration forms. He added that at some polling stations, DR forms reflected more votes than the actual voter turnout.

Meanwhile, Raymond Asiku, a NUP supporter who resurfaced after being abducted, has claimed he found missing political activist Sam Mugumya in one of the safe houses where he had been held. According to Asiku, Mugumya was in a deteriorating health state and could barely walk.

URN could not independently verify Asiku’s claim since the authorities have not confirmed whether he was ever held in the same custody as Mugumya.

Sam Mugumya was abducted by men dressed in military attire on August 26, 2025, in Mbarara.  This means that if he is alive as claimed by  Asiku, he has been held incommunicado for 157 days.

The police and the army denied that he was under their detention. Lawyers and political actors applied to the High Court in Kampala for a writ of habeas corpus.

Civil Division Judge Collins Acellam issued a writ of habeas corpus, directing that Mugumya be presented before a competent court within seven days.

It had been suspected that Mugumya was being detained at a military facility in Mbuya, Kampala, under the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (formerly CMI).

The court order was for the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), the Directorate of Intelligence and Security, and the Attorney General.

Lt. Col. Edgar Musasizi, Director of Civil Affairs at the Ministry of Defence, then denied the claims, saying no official detention facility was holding him and describing the application as “frivolous” and meant to tarnish the UPDF’s image.

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URN