Ugandan Member of Parliament Metrine Nanzala, alias Nanjala, pleaded with President Yoweri Museveni for protection after facing a legal challenge over her citizenship status, following the January 2026 general elections.
Nanzala Metrine, MP-elect for Namisindwa County in Uganda, was declared the winner after the January 2026 elections, but is now facing a court petition in Mbale challenging her citizenship and eligibility.
The politician won the January 2026 election with 9,521 votes, beating the runner-up, Masika Apollo, who received 6,196 votes. The results were published in the Uganda Gazette on March 2, 2026.
However, the High Court in Mbale received a petition from runner-up Masika Apollo, who seeks to overturn Nanzala’s election, alleging she was not qualified to contest for the parliamentary seat.
The petition claims that Nanzala was born in Kenya, does not have Ugandan citizenship under Article 80(1)(a) of the 1995 Constitution, and obtained her national ID illegitimately through the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
Masika is asking the court to declare Nanzala ineligible and set aside her election.
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Nanzala dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, asserting that she is a legitimate Ugandan citizen and all her documents were verified before her nomination.
Ugandan MP Metrine Nanzala Pleads with Museveni for Protection Over Citizenship Status
While appealing to President Museveni, Nanzala stated she has consistently faced accusations regarding her nationality, which she says have continued throughout her political career.
She told Museveni that she had once fought a court battle in which her nationality was questioned.
The MP explained that when she contested, there were 9 male candidates, and she was the 10th. She was taken to court at that time, with claims she was not Ugandan but Kenyan.
She said she previously won a court case where her background was questioned, adding she succeeded after the court learned her parents were deceased.
Nanzala said the new petition has placed her under immense pressure, with little support.
“Daddy, I want you to help me and protect me. They have taken me to court in Mbale, so I request you, Daddy, to protect me. They are about to finish me; they are about to destroy me,” she said.
“I am trying to look for lawyers, but there is no way out. I am an orphan. I want you to help me and protect me.”
She also defended her political record, stating that she is already serving as a councilor in Sekulandi and Bungati sub-counties and is nearing the end of her term.
The legislator further said she has five children and is married, adding that her political journey has been marked by hardship, including traveling on a motorcycle during her early campaigns while her supporters stood by her despite her poor background.
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NIRA Asks Nanzala to Prove Her Citizenship in Uganda
Prior to the election, NIRA issued a seven-day ultimatum to Metrine Nanzala to prove her Ugandan citizenship, marking an earlier challenge before the January 2026 polls.
Nanzala was required to show cause in writing within seven (7) days why her registration should not be canceled for having been obtained on the basis of inaccurate or incomplete information, namely, the non-submission of a certificate of dual citizenship.
In a September 29, 2025, letter, signed by NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo and addressed to Nanzala, with a copy to the Namisindwa National Resistance Movement (NRM) office, the Authority expressed concern that she may be a Kenyan national.
The letter, titled Notice of Intention to Cancel Registration, stated that during her national identification registration, Nanzala registered as a citizen of Uganda by birth, belonging to the Banelima Clan indigenous community.
The Authority subsequently assigned her a NIN CF85067100WPRA.
NIRA noted that it had come to their attention that the MP was a citizen of the Republic of Kenya without evidence of a certificate of dual citizenship as required under Section 55(5)(a) of the Registration of Persons Act, Cap 332.
NIRA further cited Section 57(a)(b) of the same Act, which provides for cancellation of registration if it was obtained based on “inaccurate, incomplete or fraudulent information.
According to Article 80 of the Constitution of Uganda, one must be a Ugandan citizen to qualify as a Member of Parliament.
