carbohydates
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 13, 2026
- 260
- 607
The High Court in Mubende has ordered a sample-based recount of votes from 29 polling stations in Kassanda South as part of a petition challenging the election of National Resistance Movement (NRM) MP Abdul Bisaso.
In a ruling delivered on October 14, 2026, Acting Judge Mary Babirye directed that 14 polling stations where independent candidate Eria Mubiru specifically disputed declared vote figures be recounted, alongside 15 additional stations to be selected by lot.
The exercise, scheduled to begin on Friday, October 16, will help the court establish whether discrepancies exist between the votes recorded on election documents and the ballots cast during the January 15 parliamentary election.
The ruling introduces what the court described as the “doctrine of recount by sample”, limiting the exercise to stations already cited in the petition instead of ordering a recount across the entire constituency.
Under Section 82(5) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, the High Court may order a recount before deciding an election petition. The judge said the power must be exercised judicially and not used to conduct an unrestricted search for evidence.
Bisaso was declared the winner with 11,765 votes against Mubiru’s 11,050, giving him a majority of 715 votes. Mubiru subsequently petitioned the court, alleging irregularities including falsification of results, ballot stuffing and multiple voting.
The petitioner identified polling stations where he alleged that the votes recorded in the official results differed from the figures he obtained. His petition also raised concerns about other alleged electoral offences, including bribery and intimidation.
An earlier application for a recount, filed before the substantive hearing, was dismissed without prejudice to a later application. After the pleadings had closed, affidavit evidence had been presented and witnesses cross-examined, the court considered whether a recount was necessary to resolve the remaining numerical disputes.
Sources:Nile post
In a ruling delivered on October 14, 2026, Acting Judge Mary Babirye directed that 14 polling stations where independent candidate Eria Mubiru specifically disputed declared vote figures be recounted, alongside 15 additional stations to be selected by lot.
The exercise, scheduled to begin on Friday, October 16, will help the court establish whether discrepancies exist between the votes recorded on election documents and the ballots cast during the January 15 parliamentary election.
The ruling introduces what the court described as the “doctrine of recount by sample”, limiting the exercise to stations already cited in the petition instead of ordering a recount across the entire constituency.
Under Section 82(5) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, the High Court may order a recount before deciding an election petition. The judge said the power must be exercised judicially and not used to conduct an unrestricted search for evidence.
Bisaso was declared the winner with 11,765 votes against Mubiru’s 11,050, giving him a majority of 715 votes. Mubiru subsequently petitioned the court, alleging irregularities including falsification of results, ballot stuffing and multiple voting.
The petitioner identified polling stations where he alleged that the votes recorded in the official results differed from the figures he obtained. His petition also raised concerns about other alleged electoral offences, including bribery and intimidation.
An earlier application for a recount, filed before the substantive hearing, was dismissed without prejudice to a later application. After the pleadings had closed, affidavit evidence had been presented and witnesses cross-examined, the court considered whether a recount was necessary to resolve the remaining numerical disputes.
Sources:Nile post