Six witnesses lined up by former Mukono Municipality parliamentary candidate, Daisy Sarah Sonko Nabatanzi applied to withdraw from an election petition against incumbent Betty Nambooze Bakireke.
They allegedly cited fear and alleged intimidation following last week’s dramatic court proceedings.
The development emerged on Monday as the High Court in Mukono, presided over by Justice Godfrey Himbaza, entered the second day of hearing the petition challenging Nambooze’s victory in the January 2026 parliamentary elections.
Nabatanzi’s lawyers, led by Ahmed Kalule Mukasa, asked the court to allow the six witnesses to be expunged from the list of witnesses of the petitioner. They stated that they were no longer willing to appear because of fears for their safety.
The lawyers cited last week’s incident in which two men who were expected to testify in the petition were found in a Nabatanzi’s vehicle.
The witnesses whose withdrawal was sought were identified as Yeko Sassira, Fred Ssebatta, Joseph Yiga, Kassim Ssebudde, Richard Ssali Kabuggo and Daniel Mugalula.
The request marks a potentially significant development in Nabatanzi’s attempt to overturn Nambooze’s election, particularly if the witnesses were expected to provide evidence supporting allegations of electoral malpractice.
Witnesses reportedly fear intimidation Addressing the court, Kalule Mukasa reportedly told the judge that the witnesses had become apprehensive about appearing in court following the previous hearing, when tensions escalated over the whereabouts of two men expected to testify in the case.
The lawyer’s position appeared to mark a shift from his earlier assurance that the petitioner’s witnesses would appear to support her case. The request came barely a week after the legal team had maintained that it was prepared to present its witnesses before the court.
The circumstances surrounding the witnesses’ reluctance to testify have, however, become a point of contention between the two legal teams, with Nambooze’s lawyers disputing suggestions that their client’s supporters had intimidated or threatened the witnesses. The allegations of intimidation remain contested and have yet to be established by the court.
Court confrontation adds to petition drama The latest development follows a dramatic incident during the previous court session involving Fred Ssebatta and Joseph Yiga, whose whereabouts had reportedly become a source of concern for their relatives.
Vincent Ngonge, said to be the father of the two men, reportedly confronted a vehicle in which they were found, claiming that he had been searching for his sons after they allegedly went missing. The discovery of the two men in a white Toyota Alphard belonging to Nabatanzi triggered a confrontation at the court premises, drawing the attention of relatives and other people present.
The incident escalated into a dispute over the circumstances under which the men had been found in the vehicle and why they had allegedly been missing. The two men were subsequently arrested and taken to Mukono Central Police Station, according to information provided by the parties involved.
The incident added to the tension surrounding the petition, with the latest request to withdraw six witnesses raising further questions about the petitioner’s ability to present her evidence as the hearing progresses. However, the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the allegations of intimidation and the reasons for the witnesses’ reluctance to testify, remain disputed.
Nambooze’s lawyers challenge witness credibility Nambooze’s legal team, led by Kampala Central Member of Parliament Medard Lubega Sseggona, rejected suggestions that the respondent’s supporters were responsible for the witnesses’ fears.
Sseggona and his colleagues continued to challenge the credibility of witnesses presented by Nabatanzi, arguing that some of their testimony raised questions about the reliability of the allegations against the incumbent legislator.
The cross-examination became a central feature of Monday’s proceedings, with the respondent’s lawyers questioning witnesses about statements they had made and affidavits they had sworn in support of the petition.
Two witnesses, Twaibu Nkumbiterimba and Muhamed Katongole, reportedly told the court that they regretted appearing in the proceedings, saying they had not initially understood the purpose for which they had been brought to swear affidavits implicating Nambooze.
Their testimony appeared to provide fresh ammunition for the respondent’s legal team, which has been seeking to challenge the credibility of the evidence presented against its client. People on Nambooze’s side of the courtroom reportedly applauded following the witnesses’ statements.
During cross-examination, Sseggona suggested that some of the petitioner’s witnesses appeared to have been coached on what to say, arguing that their difficulties in responding to questions raised concerns about the consistency and reliability of their testimony.
The petitioner’s legal team, however, maintained that the reluctance of some witnesses to appear was linked to fear and intimidation following the previous court session. The competing positions are likely to remain central to the proceedings as the court assesses the evidence and the credibility of witnesses called by both sides.
Witness alleges voter bribery Despite the difficulties surrounding some of the petitioner’s witnesses, the court continued receiving testimony in support of Nabatanzi’s allegations against Nambooze. One of the witnesses, Simon Peter Kiwanuka, told the court that he was a staunch supporter of the National Unity Platform (NUP), the political party to which Nambooze belongs.
Kiwanuka alleged that Nambooze had given him money to distribute to voters and instructed him to encourage them to remain loyal to her and vote for her rather than abandon her. The allegation forms part of Nabatanzi’s claim that electoral malpractice affected the January 2026 parliamentary election in Mukono Municipality.
Nambooze’s legal team has contested the allegations, and the claims remain subject to the court’s assessment of the evidence presented during the hearing. The court will ultimately have to determine whether the evidence adduced by the petitioner meets the legal requirements for overturning the election result.
Nalukoola describes development as setback Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, Nambooze’s lawyer and Kampala Central MP Erias Nalukoola Luyimbazi described the withdrawal request as a significant setback for Nabatanzi’s case. Nalukoola argued that witnesses play a critical role in election petitions because their testimony can help establish allegations of electoral malpractice and provide the court with evidence to assess the validity of the challenged election.
He suggested that the decision to seek the removal of six witnesses from the petitioner’s list could weaken Nabatanzi’s case, particularly if the witnesses were expected to provide evidence supporting key allegations against the incumbent legislator. However, the ultimate effect of the development will depend on the nature of the evidence already presented, the remaining witnesses and the court’s assessment of the petition as a whole.
Background to the petition Nabatanzi, who contested the Mukono Municipality parliamentary seat on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, petitioned the High Court to challenge Nambooze’s victory in the January 2026 elections. She accuses the incumbent of electoral malpractice, including alleged voter bribery, claims that Nambooze and her legal team have disputed.
The hearing has since featured contested witness statements, challenges to the credibility of evidence and disputes over the circumstances surrounding some of the people expected to testify. The request to withdraw the six witnesses adds another layer of complexity to the proceedings, which are expected to continue as the court examines the evidence presented by the parties.
The judge will ultimately determine the petition based on the evidence and applicable electoral law, rather than the allegations and counter-allegations exchanged by the parties outside the courtroom-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
