2026 POLLS COURT BATTLE! EC Boss Admits Bundibugyo Woman MP Babungi Was Declared Winner Under Pressure Before Verification As Nov. 9 Verdict Looms

Bundibugyo Electoral Commission Returning Officer Joseph Tumwijukye has told court that he declared Josephine Babungi winner of the Woman MP election before completing verification of the results, raising fresh questions ahead of the November 9 judgment.

In an affidavit before court, Tumwijukye reportedly admitted announcing Babungi as winner under pressure from the Electoral Commission head office and candidates’ agents, even though the verification exercise was incomplete.

The initial declaration gave Babungi 34,169 votes against independent candidate Donna Kamuli Kapalaya’s 32,182, placing Babungi ahead by 1,987 votes.

But figures presented in what Tumwijukye described as a subsequent verification exercise showed a narrower gap. Babungi’s tally dropped to 32,682 votes, while Kamuli had 32,069—leaving a margin of just 613 votes.

The conflicting figures are now central to the legal battle, with court expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the declaration and the subsequent verification.

Tumwijukye’s affidavit also raises a critical legal question: whether a returning officer can alter an election outcome after it has already been gazetted.

The court will also have to consider whether the circumstances surrounding the declaration and verification were substantial enough to affect the validity of the election, as well as the implications of the returning officer’s claim that he acted under pressure from his superiors and candidates’ agents.

The case places the spotlight on the independence of election officials and the procedures they must follow when declaring results. However, the legal implications of the alleged irregularities remain for court to determine.

Both the petitioner and the respondents have largely relied on affidavits as evidence in the case.

The High Court in Fort Portal has scheduled November 9, 2026, for judgment in the election petition, which could determine the fate of Babungi’s victory and Kamuli’s challenge.