The High Court has dismissed an election petition filed by former Aruu County Member of Parliament Samuel Odonga-Otto challenging the election of Christopher Komakech, bringing another chapter in the prolonged electoral disputes between the two politicians to a close.
In a judgment delivered today, November 5, 2026, at the High Court sitting in Patongo Town Council, Agago District, Justice Fatuma Nanziri Bwanika ruled that Odonga-Otto had failed to prove that the alleged electoral irregularities substantially affected the outcome of the January 2026 parliamentary elections.
Komakech, who contested on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, was declared the winner with 10,455 votes against 10,429 secured by independent candidate Odonga-Otto, giving him a narrow majority of 26 votes.
The latest dispute adds to a series of electoral battles between the two politicians dating back to 2021, when Komakech first defeated Odonga-Otto, ending his long tenure as Aruu County MP.
Following that election, Odonga-Otto challenged Komakech’s victory, arguing that he had failed to properly resign from his employment as a psychiatric nurse at Butabika National Referral Hospital before contesting for Parliament.
In August 2021, the Gulu High Court, presided over by Justice Tadeo Asiimwe, nullified Komakech’s election and ordered fresh polls. The court found that Komakech had addressed his resignation to the wrong authority, contrary to public service requirements.
However, Komakech and the Electoral Commission appealed against the decision. In April 2022, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court ruling and restored Komakech as the duly elected MP.
The appellate court held that Odonga-Otto should have raised the concerns regarding Komakech’s nomination with the Electoral Commission before the election rather than challenging them after losing the contest.
By Edith Namwanje
5th Nov 2026
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