Leader of the Opposition and incumbent Nakawa West legislator, Joel Ssenyonyi, has formally replied to a petition by lawyer and parliamentary aspirant Ivan Bwowe, rejecting allegations that his nomination for Nakawa Division West was invalid because it was submitted under a “non-existent” constituency.

In an affidavit dated November 10, 2025, Ssenyonyi confirmed that the Electoral Commission (EC) duly nominated him on October 22, 2025, for Nakawa Division West. He further stated that the official register of nominated candidates, released by Returning Officer Hasakya Rahid at the EC’s Ntinda offices on October 23, explicitly names the constituency as Nakawa Division West.

Bwowe, who is running under the Patriotic Front for Freedom, recently petitioned the EC, challenging the nomination of seven contenders, Ssenyonyi, Nasasira Happy, Burora Herbert Anderson, Okuye Felix Ephraim, Okumu Vincent Norbert, Kyambadde Wilberforce, and Rwamiti Apuuli. He contends that these candidates were nominated under “Nakawa West,” a constituency he claims does not officially exist within Uganda’s electoral boundaries.

In his petition, Bwowe urged the EC to declare Nakawa West non-existent, cancel the seven nominations, and recognize himself as the only validly nominated candidate for Nakawa Division West, effectively granting him victory unopposed.

Responding through his legal team, Nalukoola Advocates and Solicitors, Ssenyonyi admitted that his nomination documents may have used the term “Nakawa West,” but said this was simply a clerical error that was later corrected by the EC. “That if in my nomination papers referred Nakawa Division West Constituency as Nakawa West Constituency, the same is a clerical error or short form referring to Nakawa Division West Constituency, which was corrected by the Electoral Commission in the document stated above. The Electoral Commission should not nullify my nomination since the intention and electoral area clearly refers to Nakawa Division West Constituency,” reads Ssenyonyi’s answer to the petition.

Ssenyonyi also attached the official EC list of nominated candidates to his affidavit as evidence that the correction had already been made. He argued that the essence and intent of the nomination outweigh minor clerical mistakes, emphasizing that his candidacy remains valid under electoral law. He further insisted that Bwowe “is not entitled to any of the remedies sought in his petition.”

The petition comes just weeks before the 2025/2026 parliamentary elections, where Nakawa Division West is once again shaping up as one of Kampala’s most competitive constituencies. The race has attracted several prominent figures, from media personalities and political activists to the incumbent MP, all of whom launched their campaigns two days ago ahead of the January 15, 2026 Parliamentary and Presidential polls.

While the Electoral Commission, through Acting Secretary Richard Baabo Kamugisha, has summoned all the affected candidates to respond to Bwowe’s accusations, some including NRM candidate Burora Herbert Anderson have not yet submitted written replies.

The EC has not yet ruled on the complaint. Under Section 15 of the Electoral Commission Act, all election-related disputes must first be determined by the Commission before any dissatisfied party can escalate the matter to the High Court.

URN