The High Court in Kampala has handed the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) a significant legal victory after dismissing a politically charged case that sought to overturn the party’s endorsement of Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among and Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa as Speaker and Deputy Speaker flag bearers for the 12th Parliament.
In a ruling delivered on Monday by Hon. Justice Collins Acelam, the court upheld preliminary objections raised by the respondents and dismissed the application filed by Nsubuga Jack alias Mandela, who had challenged the legality of the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) decision.
At the centre of the victory was the outstanding legal defence mounted by Counsel Usaama Sebuufu of K&K Advocates, whose commanding submissions successfully defended the authority, constitutional mandate, and institutional integrity of the NRM’s top decision-making organ.
Sebuufu, appearing on behalf of the NRM, firmly argued that the party acted fully within its constitutional framework when the CEC endorsed Among and Tayebwa during a meeting at State House Entebbe on January 29, 2026.
“The Central Executive Committee acted within its mandate under the party constitution and established procedures. Internal political processes must be respected, and the court should be slow to interfere where mechanisms exist within the party,” Sebuufu submitted during the proceedings.
His well-structured legal arguments emphasized that the dispute was fundamentally an internal political process governed by party structures, and not a matter warranting judicial interference.
In his ruling, Justice Acelam agreed with the defence, holding that the applicant lacked sufficient standing to bring the case and had failed to exhaust the NRM’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before rushing to court.
The judge further observed that judicial review is a remedy of last resort and cautioned against unnecessary court interference in internal political party affairs where clear institutional mechanisms exist.
“The preliminary objections are accordingly upheld, and the application is hereby dismissed,” Justice Acelam ruled.
The decision marks a major legal and political triumph for the NRM leadership and further solidifies the party’s confidence in the leadership of Among and Tayebwa ahead of the 12th Parliament.
Political observers have since praised Counsel Usaama Sebuufu for what many described as a brilliant, composed, and intellectually sharp defence that protected the party from what supporters viewed as an attempt to disrupt internal stability and continuity.
Throughout the proceedings, Sebuufu consistently maintained that the NRM’s structures are guided by clear constitutional procedures and that the CEC’s decisions reflect institutional order, discipline, and political maturity within the ruling party.
“This is not merely about individuals, but about safeguarding the integrity of a party system that has clear rules, structures, and guiding regulations. The endorsement process was neither arbitrary nor unlawful,” Sebuufu argued.
The court’s ruling now clears the way for the implementation of the NRM’s parliamentary leadership decisions without further legal uncertainty.
Although the court declined to award costs against the applicant, noting that the case raised broader constitutional and governance questions, the outcome nevertheless represents a resounding courtroom win for the NRM legal team led by Counsel Usaama Sebuufu.
As we report this, this ruling is already being viewed within political and legal circles as a landmark affirmation of party autonomy, internal democratic structures, and the authority of political organizations to manage their internal leadership processes without unwarranted external interference.