KAMPALA. Supporters of Busiki Constituency legislator Paul Kamba have a reason to celebrate after the High Court in Kampala reinstated him as the ruling National Resistance Movement flag bearer.
This came after court nullified the NRM Election Disputes Tribunal’s decision that had endorsed Watswa Joel Azalwa as the party’s flagbearer for the same constituency.
Justice Collins Acellam ruled that both the NRM District Registrar and the tribunal acted outside their mandate and violated principles of natural justice during the party’s internal electoral process.
Akamba was initially declared winner of the July 18 primaries with 34,265 votes. However, the following day, the same Registrar issued a new Declaration Form reversing the result, citing Watswa as winner with 35,249 votes—without explanation or notice to Akamba.
“The NRM District Registrar acted illegally when he rescinded the declaration of the Applicant to declare the 2nd Respondent… he was functus officio,” ruled Justice Acellam on October 17.
The court also discovered that the NRM tribunal, in upholding Watswa’s second declaration, re-tallied results from 249 polling stations without involving Akamba, despite his formal complaints about vote falsification.
“The procedure of re-tallying… without according the Applicant a chance to witness the exercise was procedurally illegal, irregular and irrational,” the judge stated.
Akamba had presented both a Declaration Form and video evidence of his initial win, but the tribunal dismissed his claims, a move the court found “biased, unreasonable and irrational.”
Further scrutiny revealed that the re-tally included results from three non-existent polling stations—Kangulumire Zone A, Isegeto, and Nakazunzo—allegedly inflating Watswa’s margin by over 800 votes.
The NRM had argued that its tribunal decisions are not subject to judicial review. But Justice Acellam disagreed, citing the public nature of political parties and the broader implications of their decisions.
“Decisions or actions of the 1st Respondent’s Election Disputes Tribunal are capable of being subjected to judicial review if they touch public law and public rights,” he said.
The judge ordered the tribunal’s decision quashed and reinstated Akamba as the NRM flagbearer. He also directed the party to issue Akamba the official flag and card, enabling him to register for the 2026 parliamentary elections.
“The right to a fair hearing is not granted—it is a constitutional command,” the ruling emphasized.
No costs were awarded. The ruling is expected to influence how political parties handle internal disputes, reaffirming judicial oversight where procedural fairness is at stake.