The High Court in Kampala has fixed September 29, 2025, as the date it will hear an application filed by Ms. Akol Zipporah challenging the eligibility of three Bukedea Woman MP aspirants.
The case, which has drawn widespread political and legal interest in the region, pits Akol against Akol Hellen Odeke, Norma Susan Otai, Alupo Mercy Marion, and the Electoral Commission (EC), which has been listed as the fourth respondent.
The trio have announced their interests to contest for Woman MP Position against Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among.
According to a court circular released by Kintu Simon Ziruntusa on September 22, the matter will be heard at 8:00 a.m. or “soon thereafter as the case can be heard in his court.”
The circular warned that if no appearance is made on behalf of the parties, the case will proceed in their absence, in line with procedural law.
The case is grounded in the Electoral Commission Act, Cap. 176, and provisions of the Judicature Act Cap. 16, as well as the Judicial Review Rules of 2009.
At its core, the application challenges whether the three respondents are legitimately registered voters in Bukedea District, a requirement for anyone intending to contest as a Member of Parliament.
In her application, Ms. Akol Zipporah prays for multiple declarations and orders from the court, among them:
- That the 1st Respondent, Akol Hellen Odeke, is not a registered voter in Malera Parish, Malera Sub-County, Bukedea District, following a May 2025 decision of the Parish Tribunal which deleted her name from the voters’ roll.
- That the 2nd Respondent, Norma Susan Otai, is not a registered voter in Kopeta Parish, Kolir Sub-County, after a similar tribunal decision struck her name off the roll.
- That the 3rd Respondent, Alupo Mercy Marion, is not a registered voter in Kotolut Parish, Kidongole Sub-County, Bukedea County Constituency, after her name was also deleted by a tribunal ruling earlier this year.
- That the Electoral Commission failed to review or overturn these tribunal decisions, yet it has already issued a roadmap for the nomination of parliamentary candidates, scheduled to take place in September 2025 ahead of the January 2026 General Elections.
- Orders of prohibition restraining the EC from nominating any of the three respondents as candidates for the Bukedea Woman MP race on account of not being registered voters.
- That costs of the application be provided for.
Through her affidavit, Ms. Akol Zipporah argues that she is a duly registered voter at CD Church Polling Station in Tukum Parish, Kolir Sub-County, Bukedea District.
She contends that the three respondents, while actively soliciting support across the district, have no legal basis to contest since their names were deleted from the National Voters’ Register following objections lodged during the May 2025 display exercise.
The applicant recalls that in May, the Electoral Commission conducted the statutory 21-day display of voters’ rolls in every parish, during which the public was allowed to raise objections.
Complaints were filed against all three respondents on grounds that they neither originated from nor resided in the parishes where they were registered, contrary to electoral laws.
In each case, a tribunal was constituted to handle the objections.
The tribunals ruled in favor of the complainants, deleting the names of the three aspirants from the voters’ register.
Crucially, Akol Zipporah notes that the Electoral Commission has never set aside or reviewed those tribunal decisions, meaning they remain legally binding.
“Despite these clear rulings, the respondents continue to mobilize political support in Bukedea and are preparing for nomination as candidates in the 2026 General Elections,” her affidavit reads in part.
The matter is being closely watched in Bukedea, where the Woman MP seat has traditionally attracted heated contests.
With the 2026 elections just months away, the legal battle threatens to upend the campaigns of some of the district’s most prominent aspirants.
Political Analyst Andrew Otim says the case highlights persistent concerns about voter registration, residency requirements, and compliance with electoral laws.
Should the High Court rule in favor of Akol Zipporah, it could bar three high-profile women from contesting, significantly making Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among win the race as Unopposed.
On the other hand, if the court dismisses the application, the three respondents would proceed to nomination and contest in the polls.
The EC, listed as the fourth respondent, will also face scrutiny during the hearing. Zipporah accuses the commission of negligence in failing to act on tribunal decisions, thereby allowing individuals whose names were lawfully struck off the register to continue with political activities.
Legal experts argue that the court’s interpretation of the EC’s responsibility will be a key precedent for future electoral disputes, especially in districts where residency and voter eligibility remain contested.
The hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2025, before the High Court in Kampala.
The court will determine whether to issue the declarations and prohibitory orders sought by Ms. Zipporah, or to dismiss the application.
Until then, the Bukedea Woman MP race hangs in the balance, with aspirants, supporters, and voters awaiting clarity on who will legally appear on the ballot in January 2026.
As the district braces for a high-stakes ruling, the case underscores the growing intersection of law and politics in Uganda’s electoral landscape.
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But why were their names struck from the Register?
If the speak is behind this dirty politics then we are really in a mess.
People should be allowed to freely exercise their rights as citizens of this country.
Only coward politicians do fear to be challenged in an election. People should be allowed to choose eligible and competent leader democratically as allowed by our national constitution.
Something is fishy here. Who established those tribunals that only strike off names of potential contestants. The Courts need to go beyond the visible.