This follows a court decision that removed Elias Nalukoola Luyimbazi, a Member of Parliament (MP) from the National Unity Platform (NUP), from office.
The High Court ruled that Nalukoola’s election victory in 2021 for the Kawempe North constituency was not valid.
The court said there were several problems during the election, including illegal campaigning and violence at polling stations.
Justice Bernard Namanya, who made the ruling, said these problems affected the final results and were serious enough to cancel the election outcome.
Because of this, the court ordered that Nalukoola should leave Parliament. This decision has angered NUP leaders and supporters, who believe the court is being used to reduce the number of opposition MPs in Parliament.
Speaking after the court decision, Bobi Wine said, “If Museveni thinks he can remove our MPs through court cases, he is wrong. The people are watching, and they will not accept this.”
He warned the government against using the courts as a weapon to fight political battles. “Stop using courts to fight us,” he added.
Elias Nalukoola is not just an MP; he is also a well-known human rights lawyer. He has often spoken out against abuse of power by government agencies. After the court ruling, he said he would appeal the decision because he believes it was unfair.
“I will not give up,” Nalukoola said.
“The people of Kawempe North chose me, and I will fight to keep their trust.”
NUP’s Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, also criticized the ruling. He said the court’s decision was not about justice, but a political move meant to weaken the opposition.
“This is not justice. It is a political move to silence us,” Rubongoya said.
“We must defend the will of the people. These legal tricks are just another way to bring down the opposition.”
Many political experts have noted that this is not the first time opposition MPs have been removed by the courts after winning elections. They believe the government is targeting urban areas like Kampala, where the opposition has strong support.
One political analyst said, “When courts cancel the results of elected MPs over minor issues, people begin to lose trust in the electoral and legal systems.”
Supporters of Nalukoola in Kawempe North expressed disappointment. Some said they felt their voices were being ignored.
“This is unfair,” said one voter.
“We voted for Nalukoola because we trust him. Now they are trying to take him away from us through court.”
The National Unity Platform, led by Bobi Wine, has become the main opposition party in Uganda. In the 2021 elections, the party won many seats in Parliament, especially in urban areas. However, since then, several of their MPs have faced legal challenges in court.
Bobi Wine has continued to speak out against what he sees as unfair treatment of the opposition. He said that using the courts to remove MPs chosen by the people is dangerous for democracy.
“This is a fight for our democracy,” he said. “Ugandans must stand up and defend their right to choose their leaders freely.”
The NUP leadership says it will continue to support Nalukoola and fight the decision in higher courts.
“We are not giving up,” said Rubongoya.
“We will appeal and continue to fight for the people of Kawempe North.”
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