The Electoral Commission has dismissed a petition by lawyer and parliamentary aspirant Ivan Bwowe, who sought to nullify the nomination of seven contenders for the Nakawa West seat because they were nominated in a nonexistent constituency.
In a decision issued under MIN. COMP 042/2025, Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama said the complaint lacked substance and the Returning Officer acted within the law.
“In view of the foregoing, the Commission resolved that the complaint had no merit and the same stands dismissed. Accordingly, the Commission upholds the decision of the Returning Officer Kampala in nominating the respondents,” Justice Byabakama stated, adding that all parties had been formally notified.
Bwowe’s challenge, lodged on November 6 2025, argued that the official name of the constituency is Nakawa Division West and not Nakawa West. He claimed that because of this, only he was validly nominated, insisting that the other seven contenders including incumbent MP Joel Besekezi Ssenyonyi, Happy Nasasira, Herbert Anderson Burora, Felix Ephraim Okuye, Vincent Norbert Okumu, Wilberforce Kyambadde and Rwamiti Apuuli were nominated under an invalid designation.
He contended that six of the candidates are registered voters in Nakawa Division West but were nominated under Nakawa West, while one aspirant is registered in Mbarara North Division and therefore not eligible to run in Nakawa. Bwowe asked the Electoral Commission to declare him MP for Nakawa Division West, citing provisions that permit an unopposed candidate to be declared elected.
The Commission however found no basis for his claims and reaffirmed the validity of the nominations.
By upholding the Returning Officer’s decisions, the Electoral Commission has now formally cleared all eight candidates to compete in the 2026 parliamentary contest.
Reacting to the ruling, MP Joel Ssenyonyi welcomed the outcome, saying the petition had no merit and urged his challenger to return to the campaign trail and face the voters.
