Former Mawogola North parliamentary candidate John Jet Ndamagi Tumwebaze has filed a fresh petition in the High Court in Masaka seeking to overturn the election of Godfrey Aine Kaguta, widely known as Sodo, who was declared winner of the January 15 parliamentary polls.
Tumwebaze, who contested as an independent candidate, is challenging the outcome announced by the Electoral Commission in which Sodo, the ruling National Resistance Movement candidate and younger brother to President Yoweri Museveni, secured 12,895 votes against his 6,426.
In the petition, Tumwebaze accuses Sodo and his agents of orchestrating widespread electoral malpractice that he says fundamentally undermined the credibility of the vote. He alleges that the election was marred by violence, ballot stuffing, and military interference, which he claims tilted the process in favour of the declared winner.
According to court documents, ballot papers were allegedly seized from polling officials, pre-ticked in favour of Sodo, and stuffed into ballot boxes in full view of voters. Tumwebaze further claims that voting in several polling stations was prematurely halted as early as 11 a.m., with voters who turned up later being informed that ballot papers had run out.
Despite this, he argues, final tallies from some polling stations indicated voter turnout figures exceeding the number of registered voters, raising further questions about the integrity of the process.
His legal team, led by lawyer Robert Rutalo, says the petition is backed by at least 200 witnesses who have sworn affidavits detailing incidents of violence, intimidation, and the arrest of Tumwebaze’s polling agents by security personnel.
“What was conducted in Mawogola was not an election, but a military operation,” Rutalo said, adding that the Electoral Commission was compelled to declare what he described as “manufactured results.”
The petition also raises questions about Sodo’s academic qualifications, alleging that his nomination was based on falsified documents. Tumwebaze’s lawyers claim that prior requests to the Electoral Commission and the National Council for Higher Education for certified copies of Sodo’s academic records were not honoured.
They now argue that Sodo lacks both O-Level and A-Level certificates, which, if proven, would invalidate his candidature.
Tumwebaze is asking the court to nullify Sodo’s victory and declare him the duly elected Member of Parliament, maintaining that he was unlawfully deprived of his win.
Both Sodo and the Electoral Commission are yet to file a formal response to the petition. However, Sodo has publicly dismissed the challenge, urging Tumwebaze to abandon the court process and instead work with him to serve the people of Mawogola North.
The latest legal challenge adds to earlier disputes surrounding Sodo’s rise to the seat. Tumwebaze had previously contested the NRM’s internal processes, arguing that Sodo was irregularly declared the party flag bearer without primaries after President Museveni reportedly convinced incumbent MP Shartsi Musherure to step aside.
The case now sets the stage for what could become a closely watched legal battle, with potential implications for both the constituency’s representation and broader questions about electoral transparency.
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