Tension gripped the Masaka High Court this afternoon following a court order for a vote recount in the hotly contested Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament race.
The ruling was issued by Masaka Chief Magistrate Albert Asiimwe after an application by Justine Nameere, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, who is challenging the victory of Rose Nalubowa of the National Unity Platform (NUP).
According to the Electoral Commission, Nalubowa won the election with 25,443 votes against Nameere’s 20,324. However, Nameere disputed the outcome, accusing the Returning Officer of deliberately failing to tally results from polling stations where she claims to have enjoyed overwhelming support.
After hearing submissions from both parties, Magistrate Asiimwe ordered a recount of all ballot boxes to establish the exact number of votes obtained by each candidate. The decision initially sparked jubilation among NRM supporters gathered outside the court premises.
The celebrations, however, quickly turned chaotic when a group of rowdy youths—some wearing yellow overalls associated with the ruling party—confronted lawyers representing the NUP candidate. Advocates Samuel Muyizzi and Herbert Zikusooka were surrounded by an agitated crowd accusing them of attempting to frustrate the recount through what they termed “unwanted legal arguments.”
The youths shouted threats and repeatedly disrupted the lawyers’ media interviews, forcing journalists to withdraw as tensions escalated. Within minutes, the court compound descended into disorder as surging crowds triggered brief stampedes, bringing activities to a standstill.
Anti-riot police were later deployed to restore calm. Security personnel pushed crowds out of the premises, sealed the court gates, and re-established order.
Despite the intervention, security remained visibly heightened at the Electoral Commission offices, where police and military personnel were heavily deployed amid fears of further unrest linked to the political contest. Court officials indicated that the vote recount was scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.
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