In Summary: The High Court in Entebbe has declared the election petition challenging Hon Kenan Opio’s election as Busiro County South MP as abated following the death of former legislator Charles Matovu, who was the sole petitioner. The notice, issued on October 28, 2026, means the legal challenge will not proceed further in the case as constituted.
Entebbe, Uganda — The High Court in Entebbe has declared an election petition challenging Kenan Opio’s election as Busiro County South Member of Parliament abated following the death of former legislator Charles Matovu, who was the sole petitioner in the case.
In a notice dated Wednesday, October 28, 2026, the court formally confirmed that Election Petition No. 001 of 2026 had abated following Matovu’s death on October 22, 2026.
The notice was issued by Rashida Butanula, Assistant Registrar of the High Court at Entebbe, under Section 86 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, Cap 177, and Rule 20 of the Parliamentary Elections (Interim Provisions) Rules.
“Notice of abatement of Election Petition No. 0001 of 2026 for the directly elected Member of Parliament for Busiro County South Constituency in Wakiso District is given following the death of Matovu Charles, the sole Petitioner, which occurred on 22nd Day of October 2026,” Butanula stated.
Matovu had filed the petition challenging Opio’s election as the directly elected MP for Busiro County South Constituency in Wakiso District. The Electoral Commission was also named as a respondent.
The petition was still pending before the High Court when Matovu died, bringing the legal challenge to an end following the court’s formal notice of abatement.
Matovu died at Mulago National Referral Hospital after developing a sudden illness, according to the information provided.
A former Busiro County South MP, Matovu had sought to challenge the outcome of the 2026 parliamentary election, in which Opio was declared the winner.
The court’s notice means the petition, as filed by Matovu, will not proceed further. It formally records the abatement of the case following the death of its sole petitioner.
The development closes the pending legal challenge in this petition, although the notice itself should not be interpreted as a judicial determination of the substantive allegations Matovu raised against the election.
Background
Election petitions provide a legal avenue for challenging parliamentary election results. In this case, Matovu’s death occurred while his petition against Opio and the Electoral Commission was still before the High Court.
The court cited Section 86 of the Parliamentary Elections Act and Rule 20 of the applicable election petition rules in issuing the notice of abatement.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
