By BM
Uganda’s leading opposition party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), is at the center of a legal storm after five of its members filed a case in the High Court accusing top party leaders and the Electoral Commission of acting on a forged constitution and openly defying court orders.
In a fresh application filed at the High Court in Kampala, Ssimbwa Paul Kagombe and four others allege that the constitution currently used by NUP, submitted to the Electoral Commission as the party’s official governing document is a falsified version of the original registered in 2004.
The applicants claim that key sections are missing, with the impugned version skipping from Article 10 straight to Article 26, casting doubt on its legitimacy.
The matter stems from an earlier suit, Civil Suit No. 165 of 2024, in which the same applicants asked the court to declare the current NUP constitution on file as false or suspect, and to invalidate all actions and decisions taken based on it.
The suit names several high-ranking party figures, including NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (popularly known as Bobi Wine), Secretary-General David Lewis Rubongoya, Spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi, Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu, and Electoral Commission officials.
In June and July 2025, the High Court issued both interim and temporary injunctions, ordering all parties to maintain the status quo and halting the use of the contested constitution and party register until the main suit is resolved.
Despite this, the applicants say the respondents continued with party activities, including nominating Bobi Wine as the presidential candidate and submitting other nominations for the 2026 General Elections under the disputed constitution.
The applicants are now asking the court to declare those nominations null and void, arguing that they were done in contempt of a lawful court order.
They also seek to have the Electoral Commission barred from accepting any future nominations presented by the accused leaders, and want key individuals—including Electoral Commission officers who facilitated the alleged violations committed to civil prison for contempt.
The applicants further demand a fine of UGX 2 billion, compensation in damages, and an order for the Electoral Commission to stop dealing with the implicated NUP officials on all official party matters.
This case, which threatens to shake the foundation of NUP’s leadership and election roadmap, raises significant questions about internal party governance, legal compliance, and the role of the Electoral Commission in upholding the rule of law.
If the court rules in favor of the applicants, it could drastically alter the opposition party’s participation in the 2026 elections and set a legal precedent on political party regulation in Uganda. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
