Arua High Court has scheduled September 21 for the hearing of an election petition in which former Maracha County MP Denis Lee Oguzu is challenging the election of Nelson Uhuru as his successor.
The petition, which began with a pre-hearing conference at the court on Wednesday, is being heard by Justice Celia Nagawa.
By 4pm, the courtroom was packed with witnesses and residents from Maracha District who sat quietly as lawyers for the petitioner and respondents argued over the issues to be determined during the hearing.
Mr Oguzu, who served two terms in Parliament on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket, is challenging Mr Uhuru, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, and the Electoral Commission over alleged electoral violations and irregularities during the January 2026 election.
During Wednesday’s scheduling conference, Mr Renato Kania, counsel for Mr Uhuru, argued that the central issue in the petition was whether bribery allegedly committed during the election was done with his client’s knowledge, consent or approval.
He said the petition was based on two grounds-alleged bribery and donations attributed to Mr Uhuru-and asked the petitioner to restrict the case to those matters.
Mr Oguzu’s lawyer, Mr Blaise Rugamba, however, said the issues should be framed more broadly around whether the first respondent committed electoral illegal practices and irregularities during the election period.
He argued that the court should determine whether Mr Uhuru, personally or through his agents, committed any electoral offences with his knowledge, consent or approval.
The petitioner also raised an issue concerning the competence of 13 affidavits filed in support of Mr Uhuru’s answer to the petition, particularly where they allegedly introduced the issue of voter bribery.
A third issue presented to court concerned the remedies available to the parties, including whether the petitioner was entitled to the orders sought.
Mr Rugamba said the petitioner intended to cross-examine Mr Uhuru, his father Mr Severino Embatia and Mr Munduga Kennedy, the returning officer.
Counsel for Mr Uhuru said the respondent had 32 witnesses in the affidavits and expected at least 15 to be subjected to cross-examination.
Justice Nagawa directed the parties to rely on evidence already contained in their affidavits and rejected a request by the petitioner to introduce additional witnesses and video evidence.
‘All your evidence that you tend to rely on is in the affidavits and no more additions,’ Justice Nagawa said.
She also rejected a request by the petitioner to introduce a police officer as an additional witness and video evidence involving Osuta Yusuf, saying the evidence already on record was sufficient for the time-bound hearing.
‘The prayer for additional witnesses by the petitioner of a police officer and video evidence by Osuta Yusuf is rejected. What we have on record is good enough for the court to proceed with which is time bound,’ she said.
Justice Nagawa directed all witnesses named in the affidavits to be available when the hearing starts.
‘Let all the witnesses in the affidavit be around from Monday. Mr Oguzu, bring the witnesses in court and Mr Uhuru, you should also come and defend yourself. Don’t write letters of adjournment. Everything should be in on time. Let all documents come in by Friday,’ she said.
The hearing will begin on Monday, September 21, at 9am.
The petition stems from the January 2026 parliamentary election in Maracha County, in which Mr Uhuru defeated Mr Oguzu and was declared the winner. Mr Oguzu is seeking court intervention over what he alleges were electoral offences and irregularities during the election.