Court Strikes Out Video Evidence in Mayanja’s Election Petition Against Kyofatogabye

What the report says

The High Court in Luweero has struck out a video submitted in Allan Mayanja’s election petition challenging Joseph Kabuye Kyofatogabye’s win in the Nakaseke Central parliamentary race. The ruling was made by High Court Judge Samuel Emokor during a hearing that is examining claims of irregularities in the tallying and declaration of results from more than 30 polling stations.

According to the court record described by Nile Post, lawyers for the Electoral Commission and for Kyofatogabye objected to the video on the grounds that its source and authenticity were not properly established. They raised concerns about who recorded it, the device used, and when it was captured. The judge agreed that the material amounted to foreign evidence and removed it from the record.

Mayanja, represented by lawyers led by Lawrence Kabuye, had introduced the video in a rejoinder linked to an alleged confrontation at the tally centre. The respondents argued that it was added at an improper stage of the proceedings. The court also noted that a paragraph in Mayanja’s petition referring to disorder at the tally centre did not indicate that the disputed footage would be used as evidence.

The petition remains active, with the respondents said to have lined up 17 witnesses for cross-examination. More broadly, the case is part of Uganda’s ongoing election-petition process, which allows unsuccessful candidates to challenge declared results in court when they believe procedural or legal irregularities affected the outcome.