High Court Rejects Nakku’s Plea, Backs NIRA’s Age Decision

The High Court in Kampala has dismissed an application by Fiona Nakku seeking to block her removal as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer for the National Female Youth Member of Parliament race.

Justice Collins Acelam of the Civil Division delivered the ruling on Saturday, concluding that her request for an interim injunction had been overtaken by events after the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) reinstated her date of birth as December 20, 1994, rendering her ineligible to contest for a youth position under the National Youth Council Act, which defines youth as those aged 18 to 30.

“The status quo sought to be maintained by the applicant has already been altered by the first respondent. Therefore, the situation has already been overtaken by events,” Justice Acelam noted in his ruling.

Nakku, through her lawyers, had asked the court to restrain NIRA from altering her biodata and to compel NRM to maintain her candidacy. She argued that her de-nomination came after a valid nomination and that fresh nominations would render her pending judicial review meaningless.

Her legal team insisted that she had been unfairly treated, claiming that the change in her birth records was irregular and should not have been used as grounds to deny her participation.

But the court found that she had not demonstrated how she would suffer irreparable damage. “Granting such an order would alter the status quo and render the main applications nugatory as there will be no matter to determine,” Justice Acelam ruled.

NIRA, in its affidavit, maintained that Nakku’s attempt to shift her birth year from 1994 to 1997 had no legal foundation, stressing that the birth certificate she relied on was issued under a repealed law and therefore had no effect.

The authority said its decision to revert her records to 1994 was part of its legal mandate to ensure accuracy in the national identification register.

The NRM also argued that it acted within the law after receiving several petitions questioning her eligibility, noting that she had been granted a fair hearing before her removal.

The judge dismissed Nakku’s application without awarding costs, though her main judicial review and temporary injunction cases remain pending before the same court.

Legal observers say the ruling underscores the growing scrutiny around age verification in youth electoral contests, a recurring point of contention in recent years.

While Nakku’s political future now hangs in the balance, the NRM will be expected to carry out fresh nominations for the position.

As one party official who preferred anonymity explained, “The court ruling gives the party the green light to move forward, but it also raises a bigger debate on how age and documentation disputes are handled during electoral processes.”

Nakku’s case has drawn public interest, not only because of the legal battle against two powerful institutions but also because it highlights the challenges young aspirants face in navigating both political structures and administrative technicalities.

With the judicial review still to be heard, the spotlight remains on whether the substantive issues she raised will find traction in court, or whether the ruling delivered today has already closed the door on her ambitions.