They include Minister for the Presidency Milly Babirye Babalanda, Minister for Security Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi, Minister for Disaster Preparedness Eng. Hilary Onek, State Minister in the Office of the Vice Presidency Diana Mutasingwa, State Minister for Fisheries Hellen Adoa and State Minister for Foreign Affairs John Mulimba.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal is currently handling the recently concluded parliamentary elections. Among the petitioners and respondents are six ministers.
According to Enoch Barata, the Director of Legal Services at the NRM, July 30, was the deadline for filing petitions related to the local government elections held on July 24, 2025. By close of business, 178 petitions had been registered.
Barata revealed that the Tribunal has consolidated some of the petitions to ensure uniform decisions and avoid contradictions. He said the hearing of these local government petitions will begin next week, immediately after the Tribunal concludes the pending parliamentary petition hearings.
The Tribunal, chaired by lawyer John Musiime, is currently handling 381 petitions from the parliamentary flag bearer elections, which are expected to conclude by Sunday this week.
Barata emphasized that there will be no break after the parliamentary petitions, as the Tribunal will immediately shift to hearing the local government matters. He added that rulings from both elections will be written simultaneously and concurrently.
They include Minister for the Presidency Milly Babirye Babalanda, Minister for Security Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi, Minister for Disaster Preparedness Eng. Hilary Onek, State Minister in the Office of the Vice Presidency Diana Mutasingwa, State Minister for Fisheries Hellen Adoa and State Minister for Foreign Affairs John Mulimba.
They variously defended themselves against charges brought against them in connection to the July 17 primary elections, with Minister Mutasingwa first on the floor but whose case never took off as the petitioner Harriet Nankabirwa was absent. She later said that it was unthinkable for a person who collected only 4,000 votes to claim she had been cheated by a winner with over 60,000 votes.
Milly Babalanda who took the Budiope West seat was charged by Dennis Mutagaya and he was grilled by the committee.
Minister Hellen Adoa who took the Serere woman seat, was dragged to the committee by Esther Achom who alleged that she made manipulation basing on her ministerial slot and bribed voters and threatening supporters of her opponent. She prayed for the cancellation of Adoa’s declaration as winner.
And John Paull Wandera dragged Minister John Mulimba to the committee for allegedly cheating in the Samia Bugwe North constituency, and the latter suggested that compensation allowances should be set up because many petitioners waste a lot of their time.
Among other losers in the primaries who flocked to the committee were Elizabeth Salabwa who wanted the Bamunanika county seat, Huudu Hussein who lost the Mbale City Northern Region and others who were all the time spitting fire seeking cancellation of the winners’ victory.
The Director for Legal Affairs in the NRM Enock Barata said they have managed to hear 120 petitions, while 15 of petitioners withdrew their cases after admitting defeat.