By Aggrey Baba
After almost completely disappearing from the public gallery since the day he was sworn in as the new MP for Busiro East constituency, Emmanuel Matovu Magoola has resurfaced, breaking his silence on the election petition threatening his hold on the constituency.
Matovu, an independent MP closely associated with the National Unity Platform (NUP), on Monday appeared at the Wakiso High Court as his lawyers began defending his January victory against a petition filed by his main challenger, NRM’s Hajji Abdul Kiyimba.
Kiyimba, who finished second in the election, is challenging Matovu’s victory alongside the Electoral Commission (EC), alleging irregularities in the tallying and declaration of the results and asking court to overturn the outcome. The case is before Justice George Okello.
But Matovu has come out fighting, accusing Kiyimba of basing his petition on documents he claims are forged, further revealing that his lawyers are already working with police to have the disputed documents subjected to forensic examinations.
Without appearing particularly bothered by the case, Matovu told his supporters after the court session, that they should not waste their time attending court proceedings, insisting that he defeated Kiyimba decisively at the ballot and expects to defend the victory in court as well.
“My message to my voters is don’t panic. You gave me your vote and I won soundly,” Matovu said, maintaining that Kiyimba’s court challenge would ultimately fail.
The petition has brought back into focus one of the most dramatic parliamentary contests in Wakiso ahead of the January 2026 elections.
Matovu was initially not the NUP candidate for Busiro East. He was one of the politicians who participated in the party’s internal vetting process alongside then incumbent MP, Medard Lubega Sseggona, and popular Kadongo Kamu singer Mathias Walukaga.
NUP eventually handed the ticket to Walukaga, leaving Matovu and Sseggona to proceed as independents.
Walukaga, however, was later thrown out of the race after his academic qualifications were successfully challenged. The Electoral Commission (EC) ruled that the mature-age certificate he presented for nomination had expired by the time he was nominated, effectively ending his bid to carry the NUP flag.
The musician challenged the decision in court but the High Court upheld his removal, leaving the Busiro East contest wide open and Matovu on the ballot as an independent.
NUP subsequently rallied behind Matovu, while Walukaga also threw his political weight behind him, helping turn what had started as an internal NUP battle into a broader contest against Kiyimba and Sseggona.
When the votes were counted, Matovu emerged victorious with 45,625 votes against Kiyimba’s 28,499, a margin of more than 17,000 votes.
Kiyimba has now taken that defeat to court, hoping to dismantle Matovu’s victory through the petition.
Among the issues raised in the petition are alleged irregularities in the tallying process, including claims that results from individual polling stations were not properly read during tallying.
The case has also attracted attention because of earlier allegations surrounding Matovu’s victory and his relationship with Walukaga. Reports before the filing of the petition had raised questions about an alleged arrangement between the two men, claims that Kiyimba’s camp has sought to use in challenging the election outcome.
Matovu, however, is projecting confidence rather than anxiety, telling supporters that the legal battle will merely provide another opportunity for him to prove the legitimacy of his victory.
He has also indicated that should he prevail, he will seek costs against the petitioner to recover the money he says he has spent defending the seat.
“I will consolidate his [Kiyimba] property as security after winning him. Because I now he doesn’t have enough money to pay me,” Matovu vowed. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
