FALSE: Rose Nalubowa Was Not Declared Masaka City Woman MP After the September 22 Court Hearing
CLAIM
A TikTok video claims that Rose Nalubowa has been announced as the Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament following a court hearing.
The video shows Nalubowa speaking to members of the public and journalists about what happened in court. Its overlaid caption reads: “Nalubowa has been announced as MP Masaka city as woman Hon.”
At the time of review, the video had received approximately 29,000 likes, 586 comments, 2,385 saves and 707 shares.
FINDINGS
The video was published amid an ongoing legal dispute over the result of the Masaka City Woman MP election.
On January 16, 2026, the Electoral Commission’s returning officer declared Rose Nalubowa the winner with 25,443 votes, ahead of Justine Nameere, who received 20,324 votes.
Nameere subsequently challenged the result and sought a recount, arguing that results from several polling stations had been excluded from the tally. A court-ordered recount was conducted in February.
We used the Debunk Info Verifier to search for and verify information related to the claim. The tool returned multiple relevant sources and indicated that Rose Nalubowa was initially declared the winner of the Masaka City Woman MP election, but that subsequent developments showed that Justine Nameere was declared the winner after a court-ordered recount.
Among the sources returned by the tool was a Radio One FM 90 report, titled “Nameere Declared Winner Masaka City Woman MP Seat,” which reported that Nameere was declared the winner following the recount, receiving 25,502 votes against Nalubowa’s 23,176 votes.
On February 2, 2026, Masaka Chief Magistrate Albert Asiimwe declared Justine Nameere the winner after the recount, with 25,502 votes, while Nalubowa received 23,176 votes. The recount therefore overturned the Electoral Commission’s earlier declaration of Nalubowa as the winner. Radio One FM 90, identified among the sources by the Debunk Info Verifier, also reported Nameere’s declaration and the recount results.
Nalubowa subsequently challenged Nameere’s victory in the High Court, arguing that the recount was affected by irregularities. The case was scheduled for hearing in September 2026.
On September 22, 2026, the High Court in Masaka heard Nalubowa’s election petition. During the proceedings, Nalubowa testified about the recount and raised concerns about a ballot box that had a broken seal. The court admitted video evidence presented by her legal team concerning the recount.
However, the High Court did not conclude the petition or declare Nalubowa the winner. Justice Bernard Namanya adjourned the hearing to September 30 and October 1, 2026, with the case set to continue.
Therefore, while the video accurately shows Nalubowa speaking about the court proceedings, the caption incorrectly presents the proceedings as having resulted in her being announced as the Masaka City Woman MP.
METHODOLOGY
We reviewed the TikTok video, including its on-screen caption and the context in which the video was presented. We then used the Debunk Info Verifier to identify relevant sources and cross-check the claim against available reports.
The sources returned by the tool were reviewed individually and compared with additional reports covering the election dispute and the subsequent court proceedings. We also checked the chronology of the case to distinguish between the initial election declaration, the recount process, and the later court challenge.
Finally, we compared what the TikTok caption claimed had happened with what was actually reported about the September 22 court proceedings, paying particular attention to whether the court had made a final determination on the election result.
This process was used to determine whether the caption accurately represented the outcome of the court proceedings.
VERDICT: FALSE.
Rose Nalubowa was not declared the Masaka City Woman MP after the September 22, 2026 High Court hearing. She was initially declared the winner by the Electoral Commission, but that result was overturned after a court-ordered recount that declared Justine Nameere the winner. Nalubowa subsequently challenged the recount in the High Court.
The September 22 hearing was part of that ongoing petition. Although the court admitted evidence presented by Nalubowa’s legal team, the petition was not concluded and no declaration was made awarding the seat to Nalubowa. The case was adjourned to September 30 and October 1, 2026.