Politics 13 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Court Dismisses Katabu's Election Challenge Against Kampala Mayor Uhuru as Time-Barred
The High Court has dismissed Moses Katabu's petition challenging Salim Uhuru's victory as Kampala Central Mayor, ruling the case was filed beyond the statutory 14-day deadline. The court's decision means the legal contest concludes without examining the election's merits. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/time-barred-court-dismisses-katabu-s-challenge-against-kampala-central-mayor-salim-uhuru-5630964
The High Court in Kampala has officially struck out an election petition filed by NUP candidate Moses Katabu, which sought to overturn the mayoral victory of NRM’s Salim Saad Uhuru for Kampala Central.
Presiding judge Justice Flavia Nabakooza ruled that the petition was filed outside the mandatory 14-day period stipulated by law, rendering it time-barred and therefore incompetent before the court. Justice Nabakooza emphasized the strict adherence required for electoral timelines, stating that the court lacks the authority to extend deadlines for late filings.
Official records indicate that the Electoral Commission published the election results in the Uganda Gazette on May 15, 2026. This set the statutory filing window for petitions between May 16 and May 29, 2026. However, Katabu submitted his petition on May 30, 2026, several hours after the deadline, a fact acknowledged by the court.
Justice Nabakooza’s decision was grounded in established legal precedents concerning local government election timelines, including cases like Senyonjo Robert v. Electoral Commission & Kalanzi Robert and Okiria v. Zomu and Another. She also referenced a Supreme Court ruling in Kyagulanyi v. Museveni & 3 Others, reinforcing that judicial powers cannot be used to accept election petitions filed beyond statutory limits.
Prior to this ruling, both Mayor Uhuru and the Electoral Commission had filed applications to strike out additional affidavits submitted by Katabu much later than the initial petition. They argued that these late submissions violated legal procedures and prejudiced their defense. However, Justice Nabakooza deemed these applications redundant following the dismissal of the main petition due to the time-barring issue.
Salim Uhuru was declared the winner by the Electoral Commission with 32,769 votes, significantly more than Katabu’s 9,090 votes. The court ordered each party to bear its own costs. This dismissal concludes the legal challenge without a review of the election’s substantive claims.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)