Kampala, Uganda – The lawyers representing Kawempe North MP Erias Nalukoola have asked the court to admit fresh statements from key witnesses who now say they lied under duress when they initially claimed the legislator bribed them during the 2025 by-election.
The revelation made in court today has ignited a storm of debate in political and legal circles with questions about witness integrity, electoral manipulation and the broader state of Uganda’s democratic institutions.
The bribery accusations, once the core of a petition seeking to nullify Nalukoola’s election have now been thrown into serious doubt. The witnesses whose original statements implicated Nalukoola in vote buying are now admitting they fabricated their testimonies.
“We were coached. We were told what to say. And we feared the consequences if we didn’t comply,” reads part of one of the affidavits submitted to court.
According to Nalukoola’s lead counsel, the retractions are not only legally significant but morally damning.
“The truth has finally come to light,” he said. “Our client has been unfairly dragged through the mud based on politically orchestrated lies.”
Erias Nalukoola, a lawyer turned politician and vocal opposition figure was elected Member of Parliament for Kawempe North in the hotly contested 2025 by-elections.
He ran on a platform of youth empowerment, transparency and service delivery, quickly becoming a prominent voice in Parliament.
But shortly after his victory, petitions from NRM’s Faridah Nambi emerged claiming that Nalukoola had engaged in electoral malpractice with several voters swearing under oath that they were bribed to vote for him.
Those statements formed the backbone of an ongoing election petition case filed against him a case that could now unravel completely.
In court today, the defense team filed a motion to formally introduce the new affidavits, in which the witnesses confess to giving false testimony. They claim they were coerced by political operatives allegedly aligned with Nalukoola’s opponents.
The presiding judge has reserved ruling on the admissibility of the new evidence until later this week, but legal experts say it could deal a fatal blow to the prosecution’s case.
“This is a bombshell,” said constitutional lawyer Sarah Namirembe. “If the court accepts these statements, we’re looking at not just a collapsed petition but potentially, perjury charges for the original accusers.”
Supporters of Nalukoola have long alleged that the bribery accusations were part of a political witch hunt, designed to discredit vocal opposition MPs in the wake of a tense and highly scrutinized general election.
The National Unity Platform (NUP), Nalukoola’s political party, issued a statement welcoming the developments and calling on the judiciary to act independently and fairly.
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