ANT’s Nalugoda handed Bugweri parliamentary seat as court removes independent Nankwanga

The High Court in Iganga has overturned independent Stella Maris Nankwanga’s election as Bugweri District Woman MP and declared her rival, Aminah Mutesi Nalugoda of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), duly elected.

Justice Simon Peter Kinobe ruled on Friday that Nankwanga lacked the required academic qualifications at the time of her nomination.

The decision overturns the outcome of the 2026 parliamentary race, in which Nankwanga secured the seat as an independent. 

Nalugoda challenged the result through Election Petition No. 2 of 2026, naming Nankwanga and the Electoral Commission as respondents. She filed the petition on March 5, 2026. 

In a preliminary ruling on March 17, Justice David Batema allowed her to serve Nankwanga through a newspaper notice after attempts at personal service failed. 

The latest decision brings a breakthrough for Nalugoda, who has previously contested the same seat.

In the 2021 election, she stood on the ANT ticket and finished third with 13,084 votes. Rachel Magoola of the National Resistance Movement won with 15,739 votes, while Mercy Walukamba of the National Unity Platform polled 14,198, according to Electoral Commission results.

The three politicians returned to the contest in 2026, when Nankwanga emerged as the declared winner. Her victory displaced Magoola, the singer also known as Obangaina.