The Electoral Commission (EC) has confirmed that three women who had expressed interest in contesting against Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among for the Bukedea Woman MP seat in the 2026 elections have been deleted from the National Voters Register.
The development effectively clears the way for Among to return to Parliament unopposed for the second consecutive time.
In an affidavit sworn by Kamugisha Baabo Richard, a legal officer of the Electoral Commission, dated October 3, 2025, the commission outlined the legal and procedural basis for its decision to uphold earlier tribunal rulings that struck off the names of Alupo Mercy Marion (NUP), Norma Susan Otai (FDC), and Akol Hellen Odeke (NRM-leaning aspirant).
The affidavit, filed in the ongoing High Court proceedings in Kampala, emphasized that the three aspirants had been given an opportunity to defend their voter registration status but failed to do so.
“THAT the Commission under MIN Comp/012/2025 noted that the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Respondents were given 10 days of Natural Justice under the law to challenge the recommendations to the tribunal and therefore a right to a fair hearing was available and not utilized,” the affidavit reads in part.
Kamugisha further noted that: No evidence was lodged with the tribunals to challenge the deletion recommendations and the Commission did not receive any contrary submissions during its review proceedings.
The EC therefore upheld the decisions of the parish tribunals of Kopeta Parish in Kolir Sub-County, and Kotolut Parish in Kidongole Sub-County, which had earlier recommended the deletions.
The ruling means that the three women are no longer on the national register of voters in Bukedea District, automatically disqualifying them from nomination as parliamentary candidates in the 2026 elections.
Political Storm
The decision has sparked sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who view it as a deliberate move to shield the Speaker from competition.
National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) expressed outrage in a post on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the EC of acting with impunity.
“So the Electoral Commission through its secretary has this morning informed the High Court that these three women, Alupo Mercy Marion (NUP), Norma Susan Otai (FDC), and Akol Hellen Odeke (NRM leaning Aspirant), have all been deleted from the National Voter’s Register!!!,” Kyagulanyi wrote.
He further alleged that the process was conducted without transparency: “None of these women were ever invited for any tribunal hearing, which now Byabakama and his team claim is the one which recommended their deletion from the register. They only got to know about it once Among, through a proxy, took them to court. Even after the case was filed in court, before it could be heard, the Electoral Commission sat last week and resolved to delete. We’re dealing with unprecedented impunity.”
Kyagulanyi concluded his statement with a call for citizens to resist what he described as “criminality”:
“I hope every citizen can see where we’re headed as a country unless we use one voice to put an end to this nonsense.”
Bukedea Race All But Settled
The confirmation by the EC leaves Anita Among virtually unchallenged in her bid to retain the Bukedea Woman MP seat. In 2021, she also sailed through unopposed.
Among, who also serves as Speaker of the 11th Parliament, has steadily consolidated her political influence both nationally and in her home district.
Critics argue that her position as Speaker gives her an unfair advantage, while supporters insist that her development record in Bukedea justifies her dominance.
The disqualification of all major challengers, including NUP’s Alupo Mercy Marion and FDC’s Norma Susan Otai, means that voters in Bukedea may once again have no alternative candidate to choose from in January 2026.
Legal and Electoral Questions
The controversy also raises fresh questions about the integrity of Uganda’s electoral process. According to the Electoral Commission Act and Parliamentary Elections Act, a candidate must be a registered voter in the constituency they seek to represent.
In May 2025, during the nationwide voter register display exercise, objections were filed against the three aspirants, arguing that they were not genuine residents of the parishes where they were registered.
Parish tribunals ruled in favor of these objections, deleting their names.
The aspirants, however, insist they were never informed or summoned to defend themselves.
Opposition leaders argue that the deletions were politically motivated and orchestrated to ensure a clear path for Among.
The matter is still under judicial review at the Kampala High Court, where Akol Zipporah, another Bukedea aspirant, filed a petition challenging the eligibility of the same three respondents.
The EC’s latest affidavit now appears to reinforce her case, while simultaneously eliminating competition for the Speaker.
The High Court is expected to pronounce itself on related petitions before the nomination of candidates later this month. For now, however, the EC’s affidavit appears to seal the fate of Anita Among’s challengers.
If no fresh legal intervention is successful, the Speaker will likely be declared Bukedea Woman MP unopposed in January 2026, extending her political dominance in the district and strengthening her hand in national politics.
