By KT Reporter
The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Mbale on Friday dismissed a petition seeking a vote recount for the Bungokho North parliamentary race, effectively confirming Shafiga Wanyenya as the duly elected Member of Parliament.
The petition had been filed by John Faith Magolo, the incumbent legislator who contested as an independent. Magolo challenged Wanyenya’s victory, citing alleged irregularities in the electoral process. Delivering her ruling, Mbale Chief Magistrate Susan Awidi cited two key grounds for dismissing the petition.
First, the magistrate faulted the petitioner for relying on uncertified photocopies of the Declaration of Results, commonly known as DR forms. She noted that under the Evidence Act, DR forms and tally sheets are classified aspublic documentsand must be presented in court either in their original form or ascertified copies.
Secondly, the court cited the expiration of jurisdiction. By law, an application for a vote recount must be concluded within four days of filing.
The magistrate ruled that the court’s jurisdiction over the matter lapsed on January 23, 2026, and had fully expired by January 28, 2026. In theJanuary 15 parliamentary elections, Wanyenya was declared the winner by the Mbale District Returning Officer,Ann Tusingwire, after polling9,844 votes, compared to Magolo’s 5,544.
Speaking shortly after the ruling, Eddie Nangulu, a member of Wanyenya’s legal team, said the petition collapsed because the petitioner failed to present credible evidence beyond hearsay.
For Shafiga Wanyenya, the ruling brings to a close what she described as a long and exhausting legal battle, calling it her “third victory” following the election win and earlier legal hurdles.
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