Anita Among: Court dismisses petition against Electoral Commission

The High court in Kampala has dismissed two applications filed by Mercy Marion Alupo of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and Norma Susan Otai of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), which sought to block the Electoral Commission (EC) from deleting their names from the national voters’ register.

Presiding over the matter on Tuesday, justice Simon Peter Kinobe of the Civil Division ruled that the applicants had failed to establish sufficient grounds for the temporary injunctions they sought.

He instead directed both parties to focus on the main petition in which Alupo and Otai are seeking reinstatement on the register. The EC, the sole respondent in the case, was granted two days to file an affidavit in reply, after which the applicants will file their rejoinder on the same day.

The ruling is expected five days after all submissions are filed. The EC was represented by Eric Sabiiti, the commission’s head of litigation, while the applicants were represented by lawyer Jonathan Erotu.

On October 8, 2025, Alupo and Otai petitioned the High court to quash the EC’s decision upholding their deletion from the Bukedea Constituency voters’ register. They also sought a permanent injunction restraining the EC from conducting any election for the Bukedea District Woman MP seat until their case is determined.

Alupo told court that she is ordinarily a resident in Kotolut parish, Kidongole sub-county, Bukedea County, and that her name had previously appeared on the national voters’ register.

Similarly, Otai said she is a resident of Kopeta parish, Kotir sub-county, Bukedea district, and was also a registered voter there. The two allege that on October 1, they were summoned late at night by the EC and instructed to appear the following morning without being informed of the purpose of the meeting or provided with copies of any complaints.

They claim the EC, acting on recommendations from parish tribunals in Kotolut and Kopeta, deleted their names on the basis that they were not residents of Bukedea, an allegation they insist is false.

According to their petition, the October 2 appearance before the commission was a mere formality, and they were denied a fair hearing, in violation of the principles of natural justice.

They accuse the EC of acting without due diligence and failing to independently verify the objections before striking their names off the register. The dispute stems from May 2025, when some individuals lodged objections before the two parish tribunals, challenging the women’s registration.

The applicants say they were never served with notice or invited for a hearing before the tribunals proceeded ex parte and recommended the deletions, which the EC later upheld.

In his response, EC litigation officer Eric Sabiiti told court that both Alupo and Otai were invited to provide proof of residence but failed to do so, leaving the commission no choice but to act on the tribunal’s recommendations.

Their woes deepened when Ziporah Akol, believed to be an ally of speaker Anita Among, petitioned the High court to block their nomination in the upcoming parliamentary elections, arguing that they are not registered voters in Bukedea.

Akol, represented by Alaka and Company Advocates, further contends that despite their deletion, the duo has continued to campaign for the Bukedea Woman MP seat. Her petition is set for hearing on October 27, 2025.

Meanwhile, the High court is expected to rule on Alupo and Otai’s main petition five days after the EC submits its response. The National Unity Platform has since endorsed a new flag bearer for the Bukedea Woman MP seat, as opposition parties step up efforts to challenge Among’s political dominance in Bukedea, where she has previously gone unopposed following the disqualification of her rivals.