By Aggrey Baba
Senior lawyer Robert Rutaro on Wednesday once again showed why he has increasingly become one of the most visible lawyers in Uganda’s politically charged election disputes, refusing to let the collapse of Fred Nyanzi’s bid for original Electoral Commission (EC) documents derail the legal battle over the Kawempe South parliamentary election.
Appearing before Justice Faridah Shamilah Bukirwa in the absence of Nyanzi’s lead counsel Alex Luganda, Rutaro pressed court to allow Nyanzi bring in a handwriting and forensic expert to examine documents at the heart of allegations of forgery, alteration and switching of results.
It was a characteristically combative courtroom appearance for Rutaro, who has built a public profile not only through litigation but also through his involvement in some of the legal profession’s biggest institutional battles.
His latest courtroom assignment has placed him at the centre of one of the most closely watched election petitions arising from the 2026 general elections, representing Nyanzi in the challenge to NRM’s Madina Nsereko Ntale’s victory.
Nyanzi’s case is that the results declared by the EC were affected by irregularities, including alleged alterations and discrepancies in electoral documents.
Rutaro told court that the petitioner had sought the original Declaration of Results (DR) forms from the EC precisely because his team wanted to compare them with documents in their possession before submitting them to forensic examination.
After the court declined that application, Rutaro returned to court with an alternative route, asking court to let an independent expert examine the documents available to Nyanzi and give an opinion that can assist court in determining whether the alleged alterations actually occurred.
He argued that this would not amount to sneaking a new case into the petition because the allegations of forgery and alteration were already pleaded from the beginning.
The senior counsel particularly pointed to the alleged discrepancy between records covering 141 polling stations and a certified tally sheet covering 165 polling stations, yet showing the same vote totals for both the leading candidates.
Such discrepancies, for the Senior lawyer, cannot simply be settled through lawyers’ submissions.
He wants an expert to examine the signatures, handwriting and other features of the disputed documents and tell court whether they are genuine or forged.
The respondents, led by lawyer and former minister Mwesigwa Rukutana, opposed the move, arguing that Nyanzi’s lawyers knew the evidence they needed when they filed the petition and should not now be allowed to supplement their case outside the prescribed timelines.
Rutaro remained firm, arguing that his team had actually attempted to obtain the originals through the proper court process and only sought the alternative forensic route after that effort failed.
The exchange offered another glimpse into the style of the lawyer who is now seeking a leadership role in the Uganda Law Society, where he is positioning himself for the Secretary’s seat. Rutaro’s broader legal career, includes his experience as a former Makerere Guild President, Senior Partner at Elgon Advocates, university lecturer and participant in efforts to mediate divisions within the legal profession.
That mediation role has put Rutaro in a somewhat unusual position within the profession, making him a lawyer known for confronting institutions in court while also advocating dialogue when disputes threaten to fracture the Bar. His involvement in the wider ULS mediation efforts has previously been acknowledged alongside other senior members of the profession.
But in Kawempe South, Rutaro’s task remains firmly in the courtroom. Justice Farida Bukirwa is expected to pronounce herself on the supplementary-affidavit application on October 6, with the substantive hearing of Nyanzi’s petition scheduled for October 7. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
