The High Court in Mbale has concluded the hearing of evidence in an electoral petition challenging Joyce Kidulu Matuka’s election as Mayor of Mbale City, following days of cross-examination of witnesses.
The hearing, which commenced on October 15, ended on Thursday, October 22, with the cross-examination of Mbale City Returning Officer Michael Arinaitwe, the final witness in the case. The court has directed the parties to file their final submissions within two weeks, after which a date for judgment will be communicated.
The petition was filed by Vincent Magombe, who is challenging Matuka’s election, citing alleged irregularities in the results from five polling stations in the city’s Industrial Division. A key issue before the court is whether the Electoral Commission’s tallying exercise covered 372 or 376 of the 377 polling stations reportedly involved in the election.
During the proceedings, questions emerged over two sets of tally sheets that Arinaitwe submitted to different departments at the Electoral Commission’s headquarters in Kampala. One tally sheet dated February 26, 2026, and certified on April 30, reportedly covered 372 polling stations.
The other, dated January 23, 2026, and submitted on February 20, reportedly covered 376 polling stations. According to evidence presented in court, Arinaitwe denied generating the disputed tally sheet dated February 26.
The tally sheet covering 372 polling stations showed Magombe with 10,587 votes, followed by Kidulu with 10,378 votes, while another candidate, Cassim Namugali, garnered 10,176 votes. Meanwhile, Kidulu claimed that she was declared the winner on January 23, 2026, with 10,920 votes against Magombe’s 10,682 votes.
Eddy Nangulu, the lawyer representing Matuka, said the conclusion of the evidentiary hearing marked the beginning of the final stage of the proceedings, during which the parties will present their legal arguments based on the evidence and exhibits before the court.
“We have wound up the hearing of all the evidence. The court has given the parties schedules to file their final submissions and arguments in this case,” Nangulu said.
Yusuf Mutembuli, another lawyer representing the petitioner, said the final submissions would address the key legal and factual issues arising from the evidence, particularly the disputed vote tallying.
Mutembuli said the lawyers would review the evidence, exhibits and applicable law before presenting their respective arguments to court. The court is expected to announce the judgment date after the parties have filed their final submissions in accordance with its directions-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
