By Peter Luzinda
MPIGI
The High Court in Mpigi has nullified the election of National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Godfrey Saazi as Member of Parliament for Gomba East, ordering a fresh poll after finding that electoral irregularities substantially affected the January 2026 election.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, October 26, 2026, Justice Jamson Karemani allowed an election petition filed by National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Henry Harris Kalule Kirumira, who had challenged Saazi’s victory.
Saazi was declared the winner of the January 15 election with 10,907 votes, defeating Kirumira, who garnered 9,156 votes.
However, the court found that disruptions and the destruction of electoral materials at nine polling stations prevented the electoral choices of 4,387 registered voters from being established.
The affected stations included Ttaba Trading Centre, Buyebeyi C.O.U, Kimbo Catholic Church, Serumbe UMEA Primary School, Jumbi C.O.U, Kindimunda Playground and St Peter Primary School in Ngeribalya.
Kirumira had also challenged the omission of results from four polling stations: Buyana Trading Centre, Tiginya SDA Primary School, Kiziba Trading Centre and Buyinja Butoole Primary School B.
The four stations had 959 registered voters, and the available declaration forms showed that Kirumira had received 453 votes while Saazi obtained 366.
Including those votes would have increased Kirumira’s tally to 9,609 and Saazi’s to 11,273. However, the judge ruled that the omission alone could not have changed the election outcome, as Saazi would still have retained his lead.
The court’s decision instead hinged on the disruptions at the nine other polling stations, where the destruction of electoral materials made it impossible to establish how the affected voters had voted.
Saazi had defended his victory, arguing that the election was substantially free and fair and reflected the will of the majority. He denied responsibility for the incidents at the affected polling stations and accused Kirumira, his agents and supporters of involvement in the disruptions.
The Electoral Commission and the Gomba District Returning Officer attributed the omission of results from the four polling stations to a technical glitch discovered after polling. They maintained that the omission did not substantially affect the results.
Justice Karemani ruled that the irregularities at the nine polling stations substantially affected the election, warranting the nullification of Saazi’s victory.
The court subsequently set aside his election, declared the Gomba East parliamentary seat vacant and directed the Electoral Commission to organise fresh elections. Each party was ordered to meet its own legal costs.
The ruling sets the stage for another electoral contest between the parties as voters await fresh arrangements from the Electoral Commission.
