A fresh war of words has erupted in Uganda’s political and media circles after Masaka City Woman MP Justine Nameere responded sharply to concerns raised by Nation Media Group Uganda Chief Executive Officer Susan Nasibirwa over the legality of her election victory.
Nasibirwa had publicly questioned the legitimacy of the process that led to Nameere being declared winner, arguing that there were procedural irregularities during the disputed vote tally and subsequent court-ordered recount.
“How do you explain the MP election debacle? The law was broken to declare you winner,” Nasibirwa stated, raising concerns that the judicial process used to overturn the initial declaration may have compromised electoral standards.
Nameere, who was initially second in the contested election before a court-supervised recount reversed the outcome in her favour, issued a strongly worded response that shifted the debate beyond the courtroom dispute into personal territory.
“Nasibirwa I stood surety for you in 2015,” Nameere said. “Your fellow managers at Vision Group refused to help u out of Police becoz u had become a recidivist due to yo known alcohol and njaga problem! So when the Law gives u bond it's right but when it saves my cheated victory, then the law is bent?”
The remarks immediately sparked mixed reactions across political and media spaces, with critics warning that the exchange risks overshadowing the underlying legal questions surrounding the Masaka election petition.
The controversy stems from a disputed parliamentary race in which the Electoral Commission initially declared another candidate the winner.
However, following a petition by Nameere, a court-ordered recount at Masaka Magistrate’s Court reversed the result, handing her victory.
The decision has since been challenged in the High Court, with arguments focusing on whether the recount process adhered to established electoral procedures, especially after concerns were raised about ballot security.