By Walter Okello I 11th May 2026
The High Court Civil Division has dismissed an application for judicial review filed by Jack Nsubuga, alias Mandela, which sought to overturn the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) decision to endorse Anita Annet Among and Thomas Tayebwa as flag bearers for the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament.
In a ruling delivered on May 11, 2026, Justice Collins Acellam upheld preliminary objections raised by the NRM and the two senior parliamentary leaders. The judge concluded that the application was legally incompetent due to a lack of standing and failure to exhaust internal party grievance mechanisms.
The court found several technical grounds for dismissal. First, Nsubuga attempted to sue on behalf of 72,000 LC1 Chairpersons without obtaining the required representative order from the court. Furthermore, the court determined that Nsubuga lacked “locus standi” because he is not a Member of Parliament and thus not directly eligible for the positions in question.
Crucially, the judge emphasized the “Doctrine of Exhaustion,” noting that Nsubuga failed to prove he had fully utilized the NRM’s internal dispute resolution structures before seeking judicial intervention.
Justice Acellam remarked that while political parties are subject to the law, courts must exercise restraint and avoid “descending into internal political management processes” unless clear illegality is demonstrated.
“Courts are guardians of legality, not supervisors of political strategy,” the judge ruled.
The legal battle began after the NRM’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) met at State House Entebbe on January 29, 2026, to endorse the incumbents for another term.
Nsubuga, identifying as an NRM member, challenged the move, arguing it was exclusionary and violated principles of internal party democracy. He contended that the decision failed to allow other eligible members of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus to express interest in the seats.
The respondents the NRM party, Among, and Tayebwa challenged the petition as “frivolous and vexatious,” arguing that the CEC acted within its constitutional mandate to provide leadership and guidance to the party.
Despite dismissing the application, the court declined to award costs against the applicant. Justice Acellam noted that the case raised important questions regarding constitutional governance and internal party democracy. Consequently, each party was ordered to bear its own costs.
The ruling affirms the NRM’s internal processes and is expected to solidify Anita Annet Among and Thomas Tayebwa’s positions as the party’s official flag bearers for the top parliamentary leadership roles in the 12th Parliament.