UGANDAN OR KENYAN? Namisindwa Mp Seat Hangs by a Thread as Court Orders NIRA to Release of Family Records in Nationality Row with Rival
Namisindwa County Member of Parliament, Metrine Nanzala
The political survival of Namisindwa County MP Metrine Nanzala is hanging in the balance after the High Court in Mbale ordered the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) to release certified registration records of two individuals at the centre of an explosive citizenship dispute that could ultimately cost her parliamentary seat.
The dramatic ruling, delivered on Tuesday through the Judiciary’s Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS), stems from Parliamentary Election Petition No. 03 of 2026 filed by her political rival, Apollo Masika, who is challenging her election victory on grounds that she is allegedly not a Ugandan citizen and therefore not qualified to serve as a Member of Parliament.
At the heart of the legal battle is a bitter dispute over Nanzala’s family roots and nationality.
Masika claims that Nanzala is not the biological daughter of Agnes Nelima and the late Michael Walyama. According to him, the couple had only four children, among them Evans Wekesa, and Nanzala does not belong to the family. He argues that establishing the true family lineage is crucial in determining her citizenship status and eligibility to hold public office.
Nanzala has fiercely rejected the allegations.
She insists that Agnes Nelima and the late Michael Walyama are indeed her biological parents. To support her position, she presented an affidavit from Agnes Nelima, who states that she and the late Walyama had five children, including Nanzala.
The conflicting claims over the family tree have now become the central battleground in the election petition.
Seeking to prove his case, Masika asked the court to compel NIRA to release official registration records relating to Agnes Nelima and Evans Wekesa. He argued that the records would help verify the affidavits already before court and establish the actual composition of the family, a matter he says is directly linked to the determination of Nanzala’s citizenship and qualification to sit in Parliament.
NIRA, through its Manager of Legal and Advisory Services, Brenda Kezaabu Agaba, informed the court that information contained in the National Identification Register is protected by law. However, she clarified that such information can be released when a competent court issues an order directing its disclosure.
Nanzala fought the application and asked the court to reject it.
She argued that the individuals whose records were being sought were not parties to the proceedings and had never been served with the application. She further maintained that the request was frivolous and that the court lacked jurisdiction because there is already a statutory procedure for accessing information from the National Identification Register.
Her legal team also contended that she had been improperly joined in the application because no direct orders were being sought against her.
But in a ruling delivered on June 2, 2026, Justice Dr. Farouk Lubega swept aside all the objections.
The judge firmly affirmed that the High Court has jurisdiction to order access to information contained in the National Identification Register whenever such information is necessary for the determination of a matter before court.
Justice Lubega held that courts, being government institutions, are entitled under the law to obtain information required for judicial proceedings. He also dismissed arguments that Nanzala had been improperly joined, noting that any decision arising from the application would directly affect her interests in the main election petition.
The judge observed that the crucial question before the court is whether Agnes Nelima and the late Michael Walyama had four children or five, and whether Nanzala is indeed one of their biological children.
Concluding that the requested records could help resolve that dispute, Justice Lubega granted the application and ordered NIRA to provide certified copies of all registration details relating to Agnes Nelima and Evans Wekesa contained in the National Identification Register.
He further directed that the costs of the application would be determined by the outcome of the main election petition.
The latest court drama comes against the backdrop of earlier scrutiny surrounding Nanzala’s citizenship.
In September 2025, NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo issued the legislator a seven-day ultimatum demanding proof of her Ugandan citizenship after concerns emerged that she could be a Kenyan national. The notice warned that failure to provide satisfactory evidence could result in cancellation of her registration under the Registration of Persons Act on grounds of inaccurate or fraudulent information.
The controversy did not stop Nanzala from winning the January 2026 parliamentary election, where she secured 9,521 votes against Apollo Masika’s 6,196 votes.
However, the citizenship battle has continued to haunt her political career.
During the recently concluded NRM MPs retreat at Kyankwanzi, an emotional Nanzala broke down as she addressed President Yoweri Museveni at the National Leadership Institute. Fighting back tears, she pleaded for protection, claiming her political enemies were using the courts to force her out of Parliament.
She specifically pointed at her challenger, Apollo Masika, whose petition alleges she is a Kenyan national. Nanzala told the President that her opponents were determined to unseat her and emotionally appealed for intervention, saying the legal battles were “about to finish” her.
Now, with NIRA ordered to open records at the centre of the dispute, the spotlight has shifted back to the courts as the high-stakes citizenship showdown enters a critical phase that could determine whether Nanzala remains in Parliament—or is shown the exit door.
GOT A HOT STORY? EMAIL: redpeppertips@gmail.
SOURCE PROTECTION/CONFIDENTIALITY IS OUR NO.1 PRIORITY.
About Post Author
