Kampala — The High Court has dismissed an appeal by Lwemiyaga Constituency Member of Parliament, Hon. Theodore Ssekikuubo, challenging the nomination of Brig. Gen. (Rtd) Emmanuel Rwashande, clearing the two to face off in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
In a ruling delivered by High Court Judge Joyce Kavuma, the court struck out Ssekikuubo’s appeal against the Electoral Commission’s decision that upheld Rwashande’s nomination as a candidate for the Lwemiyaga Constituency seat in Sembabule District.
Ssekikuubo and Rwashande were both successfully nominated to contest for the parliamentary seat ahead of the general elections scheduled for 15 January 2026. Following the nomination exercise, Ssekikuubo applied to the Electoral Commission for certified copies of Rwashande’s nomination forms and related documents used during the nomination process.
According to court records, the Electoral Commission provided Ssekikuubo with a complete certified copy of Rwashande’s nomination file. After reviewing the documents, Ssekikuubo alleged that Rwashande’s nomination was irregular, illegal, and non-compliant with the Parliamentary Elections Act.
He subsequently petitioned the Electoral Commission on 14 November 2025, challenging the validity of Rwashande’s nomination. The Commission heard the petition on 18 November 2025 and, in a ruling delivered on 3 December 2025, dismissed the complaint and upheld Rwashande’s nomination.
Dissatisfied with the decision, Ssekikuubo escalated the matter to the High Court through Electoral Petition Appeal No. 0014 of 2025, alongside Miscellaneous Application No. 1124 of 2025.
In her ruling, Justice Kavuma found the appeal to be without merit and struck it out.
“In light of the above discussion, the petition filed by the applicant vide Electoral Petition Appeal No. 0014 of 2025 is hereby struck out. The instant application MA No. 1124 of 2025 is totally without merit and is accordingly dismissed. This court finds no reason to delve into the rest of the issues unless for academic purposes,” the judge ruled.
On the matter of costs, the court ordered each party to bear its own costs, noting that electoral litigation is of significant national importance. The judge emphasized that courts must exercise caution in awarding costs so as not to unjustifiably deter aggrieved parties from seeking judicial redress.
The ruling paves the way for a highly anticipated contest between Ssekikuubo and Rwashande in Lwemiyaga Constituency.
