Former Busiro South MP Charles Matovu has died at the age of 41, leaving unresolved a court petition he filed seeking to overturn the results of the January 2026 parliamentary election.
Matovu, a National Unity Platform (NUP) politician, died on Thursday, 22 October, after his health suddenly deteriorated. He was initially admitted to Lubaga Hospital in Kampala before being transferred to Mulago National Referral Hospital, where he died, according to NUP officials. The cause of death had not been officially established by the time of reporting.
NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya said Matovu developed a sudden health complication on Monday evening. Rubongoya said party officials who visited him at Lubaga Hospital on Thursday found him in critical condition and unable to speak or open his eyes.
NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi announced Matovu’s death and paid tribute to the former legislator, describing his death as a loss to the party.
Matovu represented Busiro South in Wakiso District during the 11th Parliament after winning the constituency in the 2021 general election on the NUP ticket.
He sought re-election in January 2026 but lost to National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Kenan Opio, who was declared the winner.
Matovu rejected the result and filed an election petition challenging Opio’s victory. He alleged that irregularities during the election affected the credibility of the results and asked the court to overturn the outcome.
The petition had faced several legal setbacks. In September, the High Court in Entebbe rejected Matovu’s application seeking access to additional electoral documents. The court ruled that the documents he sought had not been identified with sufficient precision, while some declaration of results forms had already been provided.
