Hoima Court Locks Journalists Out of City Woman MP Election Petition

What the report says

Journalists in Hoima were prevented from covering a High Court election petition hearing tied to the Hoima City Woman MP race, raising fresh questions about media access to court proceedings. According to Nile Post, the hearing began on Thursday before Justice Charles Kasibayo and involved a challenge to the election victory of People’s Front for Freedom candidate Asinansi Nyakato.

The petition was filed by former National Resistance Movement candidate Princess Diana Jane Mugenyi, who is contesting the result. Nile Post reported that both sides had already submitted the required documents when journalists arrived at the court, but they were only allowed in briefly before the judge entered and were then asked to leave. A court official, speaking anonymously, said the restriction followed a directive barring media access inside the courtroom during the session.

The decision left reporters outside the premises seeking information from lawyers and candidates’ representatives. Local journalists criticized the move, saying it limited public access to a matter of civic interest. The Hoima Journalists Association also described the situation as unusual.

The case is politically significant because it concerns a closely fought parliamentary race: Nyakato was declared the winner with 17,142 votes, ahead of Mugenyi’s 15,197, while other candidates trailed by a wide margin. The hearing took place under tight security, with police deployed around the court.