Judge Faults EC Over Ssenyonyi Nomination Form Error

What the report says

Justice Allan Nshimye has criticised Uganda’s Electoral Commission over mistakes in nomination paperwork used in the Nakawa West parliamentary race, saying such errors can weaken confidence in the electoral process and create room for abuse. The issue arose in an election petition brought by Ivan Bwowe against the nomination and election of Joel Ssenyonyi, the Nakawa West MP.

According to the ruling reported by Nile Post, the commission had recorded the constituency name as “Nakawa West Constituency” instead of “Nakawa Division West Constituency” on declaration forms issued to candidates. Justice Nshimye said that mistake helped fuel the dispute, but he found that Bwowe did not provide enough evidence to prove the commission had violated electoral law in a way that would justify overturning the result.

The judge said administrative lapses in statutory nomination documents should be treated carefully because they could, in more serious cases, be exploited to issue incorrect papers or allow a candidate to contest in the wrong electoral area. He urged the commission to ensure its officials complete nomination forms accurately to avoid future disputes. Despite faulting the EC, the court declined to annul Ssenyonyi’s victory and dismissed the petition.

The court also ordered the Electoral Commission to cover a portion of the legal costs incurred by both Bwowe and Ssenyonyi.