Six Witnesses Seek to Withdraw From Nambooze Election Petition Amid Intimidation Claims

What the report says

Six witnesses in an election petition challenging the election of Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze have asked the High Court in Mukono to remove their names from the list of people expected to testify. The petition was filed by NRM’s Nabatanzi Daisy Sarah Sonko, and the request came as the case resumed before Justice Godfrey Himbaza after a dispute at the court the previous week.

The witnesses were identified in the report as Fred Sebatta, Joseph Yiga, Richard Kabugo, Sasira Yeko, Sebude and one other person whose identity was not immediately established. They reportedly said they wanted out because of intimidation concerns. The article says their request followed a previous incident in which a man said to be the father of two of the witnesses allegedly confronted a vehicle transporting them at the court, claiming they had been kidnapped. Those claims were not independently verified.

Lawyers on both sides gave sharply different accounts of what happened. Counsel for Sonko supported the withdrawal request and accused Nambooze’s side of intimidation, while Nambooze’s legal team said the witnesses should still appear for cross-examination. Another defence lawyer suggested the withdrawal could indicate the petitioner lacked enough evidence.

The judge’s ruling on the request will determine whether the witnesses remain part of the petition as it continues. In general, election petitions in Uganda are heard by the High Court and can test whether an electoral result should stand, but the specific legal outcome here has not yet been decided.