By Naome Namusoke/ KMA Updates
Masaka,Uganda: — The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Masaka has officially declared National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Justine Nameere the duly elected Woman Member of Parliament for Masaka City following the completion of a court-ordered vote recount.
The declaration was made by Masaka Chief Magistrate Abert Asiimwe after a three-day recount exercise conducted at the Masaka City Electoral Commission offices. The recount stemmed from an application filed before the Chief Magistrate’s Court challenging the initial tally of results from the January 15, 2026 parliamentary election.
According to an official court document issued upon conclusion of the exercise, Nameere emerged with 25,502 votes the highest among the four candidates who contested for the seat. Her closest rival, Rose Nalubowa of the National Unity Platform (NUP), secured 23,176 votes.
Juliet Nakabuye Kakande of the Democratic Front (DF) polled 6,136 votes, while independent candidate Nanyonga Sauya garnered 5,921 votes in the final recount results.
The court-sanctioned process involved the re-examination of ballots from all affected polling stations within Masaka City, with representatives of the candidates and electoral officials present to observe the exercise. Judicial officials said the recount was aimed at ensuring transparency and restoring public confidence in the electoral outcome following disputes over the original declaration.
The certificate of return, signed by Chief Magistrate Asiimwe, formally confirms Nameere as the winner of the Masaka City Woman MP seat, effectively overturning the earlier victory that had been announced in favour of the opposition NUP candidate.
The ruling marks a significant turn in the closely contested race and is expected to reshape the political representation of Masaka City in Parliament, with the NRM regaining the seat after the recount decision
