The Masaka High Court will deliver its ruling on a petition challenging Kalungu West MP Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu’s election victory, with the case revolving around disputed results forms from four polling stations and a rejected vote recount request.
The Masaka High Court has set December 8, 2026, to deliver its ruling in a parliamentary election petition challenging the victory of Kalungu West MP Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu.
The petition was filed by independent candidate Ismael Ssemakula, who is seeking to overturn Ssewungu’s victory in the January 15, 2026, general elections over alleged irregularities in the tallying and declaration of results.
The dispute centres on declaration of results forms from four polling stations and a disagreement over a request for a vote recount.
Ssewungu, who contested on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, has maintained that he won the election fairly and dismissed the allegations against him.
Speaking after the court proceedings, Ssewungu expressed confidence that the court would uphold his victory, arguing that the petitioner’s claims lacked merit.
Ssemakula, however, maintained that the evidence presented during the proceedings supported his petition and expressed confidence that the court would rule in his favour.
According to the declared results, Ssewungu won the Kalungu West parliamentary seat with 10,106 votes against Ssemakula’s 10,060, a margin of just 46 votes.
Ssemakula subsequently challenged the results in court, alleging that irregularities in the electoral process affected the final tally and declaration of the winner.
He is asking the court to nullify Ssewungu’s election and order a fresh poll.
At the centre of the petition are declaration of results forms from Kakunyu Trading Centre, Nakaseta Kisagazi, Nalunya Church of Uganda and St Josephine Catholic Church in Bulawula.
Ssemakula alleges that the forms used during the final tally differed from copies obtained by his polling agents and other candidates, raising questions about the accuracy of the results declared at the affected polling stations.
He argues that the alleged discrepancies affected the final results and warrant judicial intervention.
Ssewungu has denied benefiting from electoral malpractice, maintaining that the declared results reflected the will of the voters.
During the proceedings, the court considered the disputed declaration of results forms and evidence presented by both parties.
The presiding judge, Justice Joyce Kavuma, directed that the contested documents be examined to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged alterations.
The authenticity of the documents has emerged as a central issue, with both sides disputing aspects of the evidence relied upon to support their respective positions.
In October, the court declined to allow a police handwriting expert to testify after Ssemakula’s lawyers challenged the expert’s competence to give evidence in the case.
The judge ruled that the expert would not testify and directed the parties to address the issue in their final written submissions.
The development means the parties must rely on the evidence admitted by the court and their respective legal arguments as they await the ruling.
Ssewungu’s lawyer, Sam Muyizzi, said the court’s decision would largely depend on two key issues: the authenticity of the declaration of results forms from the four disputed polling stations and the request for a vote recount, which was rejected.
Muyizzi said the court would have to determine the significance of the disputed documents and consider the parties’ arguments concerning the electoral process.
The dispute over the forms is particularly significant because the candidates were separated by only 46 votes.
However, the court will determine whether the allegations and evidence satisfy the legal requirements for overturning a parliamentary election.
What Is at Stake?
The December 8 ruling will determine the outcome of the legal challenge to Ssewungu’s election as Kalungu West MP.
If the petition succeeds, the court could grant relief available under the law, potentially nullifying the election and paving the way for a fresh poll.
If the petition is dismissed, Ssewungu’s victory will stand, subject to any further legal proceedings available to the parties.
The allegations of electoral irregularities remain contested, and the court has yet to make a final determination on the merits of the petition.
The ruling is expected to clarify the legal status of the Kalungu West parliamentary seat following months of litigation over the January election.