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The Kampala High Court last weekend dashed the hopes for Ms Fiona Nakku to contest for the NRM Youth Female MP, dismissing her application for an interim mandatory injunction against the party's electoral commission and NIRA.
In a ruling delivered by Hon. Justice Collins Acellam, the court rejected Nakku’s request to compel the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to reinstate her as the flag bearer.
The application also sought to restrain the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) from altering her date of birth bio-data in the National Identification Register.
The court found that Nakku had not satisfied the grounds for granting the orders sought, stating that doing so would alter the current status quo and render the main application for judicial review moot.
The Grounds for Disqualification
Fiona Nakku’s disqualification from the race was initiated by a complaint lodged by several individuals, which was followed up by a petition led by lawyer Amanya Aaron.
The NRM Electoral Commission, led by Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi, acted on the findings from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
NIRA confirmed that Nakku is 31 years old, which is above the 18–30 years age limit for National Youth Council positions.
In a letter dated 18 August 2025, Dr. Odoi informed Nakku of her disqualification, citing the legal obligation of the commission to remove her from the contest based on NIRA's conclusive findings.
This was a decisive blow to her aspirations, which had been previously blocked when she lost the Busia District Woman MP seat in 2021.
Ms Fiona Nakku
The Arguments in Court
In her application, Nakku argued that her de-nomination by the NRM posed an “imminent danger” of the party holding fresh elections to replace her, which would make her judicial review application “nugatory.”
However, the court was not swayed by her arguments. The respondents (NIRA and the NRM EC), in opposition, argued that Nakku had not demonstrated how she would suffer irreparable damage from her de-nomination.
The court agreed with this and further noted that granting the injunction would essentially pre-determine the outcome of the substantive judicial review case, making it pointless.
With the court’s dismissal of Nakku's application, the position of NRM's flag bearer for the National Female Youth MP seat remains vacant.
NRM officials have stated that they will proceed with the nomination of eligible candidates who fall within the stipulated youth age bracket.
Nakku, a sister to NRM National Treasurer Barbra Nekesa, has now exhausted her legal recourse in this matter.
It is reported that Nakku has since endorsed Diana Ampaire Kampe for the NRM Youth Female MP. The ruling party is holding elections for its leadership structures at the Kololo Independence Grounds