By KT Reporter
The incumbent Nakawa West legislator and Leader of Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, has formally responded to a petition filed by lawyer and parliamentary aspirant Ivan Bwowe, dismissing claims that his nomination for Nakawa Division West is invalid because it was allegedly filed under a non-existent constituency.
In his November 10, 2025, affidavit, Ssenyonyi said he was duly nominated by the Electoral Commission (EC) for Nakawa Division West on October 22, 2025. He explained that the official list of duly nominated candidates, returned by Returning Officer Hasakya Rahid at the Ntinda EC office on October 23, clearly identifies the constituency as Nakawa Division West.
Last week, Bwowe filed the petition challenging the nominations of seven candidates — Ssenyonyi, Nasasira Happy, Burora Herbert Anderson, Okuye Felix Ephraim, Okumu Vincent Norbert, Kyambadde Wilberforce, and Rwamiti Apuuli. Bwowe argued that the candidates were wrongly nominated under “Nakawa West”, a constituency he insists does not exist in Uganda’s official electoral framework.
The Patriotic Front for Freedom candidate then asked the EC to declare Nakawa West non-existent, nullify the seven nominations, and recognize him as the only validly nominated candidate for Nakawa Division West, effectively declaring him elected unopposed. However, in his response to the petition, Ssenyonyi admitted that his nomination papers may have referred to “Nakawa West”, but described this as a clerical error or shorthand later corrected by the EC.
“That if in my nomination papers referred Nakawa Division West Constituency as Nakawa West Constituency, the same is a clerical error or short form referring to Nakawa Division West Constituency, which was corrected by the Electoral Commission in the document stated above. The Electoral Commission should not nullify my nomination since the intention and electoral area clearly refers to Nakawa Division West Constituency,” reads Ssenyonyi’s answer to the petition.
Through his lawyers, Nalukoola Advocates and Solicitors, the journalist-turned-politician added that Bwowe is “not entitled to any of the remedies sought in his petition.” Ssenyonyi attached the official list of nominated candidates as an annex to his affidavit, showing that the Electoral Commission had already corrected the constituency name. He maintained that the intent and substance of the nomination matter more than minor clerical errors, and that his candidacy remains valid under electoral law.
The case comes ahead of the 2025/2026 parliamentary elections in Nakawa Division West, one of Kampala’s most politically competitive constituencies. The Nakawa seat has drawn a mix of high-profile contenders — including former media personalities, political activists, and the incumbent MP — who launched their individual campaigns two days ago ahead of the January 15, 2026 Parliamentary and Presidential elections.
Although all the candidates whose nominations are being contested were summoned by the Electoral Commission through Acting Secretary Richard Baabo Kamugisha to respond to the accusations, some, including the NRM candidate Burora, are yet to file written responses.
The Electoral Commission is yet to decide on Bwowe’s complaint as mandated under Section 15 of the Electoral Commission Act, which requires all election-related complaints to first be filed with the Commission for determination, before any dissatisfied party may appeal to the High Court.
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