Former Busiro South Member of Parliament Charles Matovu has died, National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi announced on Thursday evening.
He was aged 41.
Kyagulanyi Sentamu aka Bobi Wine, said Matovu’s death had come as a shock. In a message shared on X, he mourned the former legislator as a brother, comrade and fellow political leader.
“Just received very disturbing news concerning the abrupt passing of our brother, comrade and fellow leader, Hon. Charles Matovu, who served as Member of Parliament for Busiro South in the last Parliamentary term and had his victory robbed at gunpoint in the January election. Very shocking news! May God strengthen all of us,” Kyagulanyi wrote.
No official cause of death had been announced by the time of publication. It was also unclear whether Matovu had been suffering from any illness.
Matovu served as Busiro South’s representative in the 11th Parliament before seeking another term in the 2026 general election under the NUP banner. The contest ended with Kenan Opio being declared the winner, a result Matovu disputed.
He later filed an election petition, alleging that electoral officials had breached legal requirements and that the irregularities had influenced the outcome. Through the case, Matovu sought to overturn Opio’s election.
His death occurred while the legal contest over the Busiro South parliamentary race was still ongoing. About a month before Kyagulanyi announced his passing, the High Court rejected Matovu’s request to access and examine several electoral materials he said were essential to his petition.
Among the records requested were the Electoral Commission’s official report book, proof of declaration forms, ballot paper accountability documents and presidential election declaration forms covering 102 polling stations in Busiro South County.
Matovu also sought scanner report printouts, certified declaration of results forms from polling stations in Nkumba, Kisubi and Kitala wards, and certified results forms from 58 additional polling stations.
He maintained that the documents would enable the court to determine whether the election had been conducted lawfully and assess the substance of his challenge against Opio and the Electoral Commission.
The Electoral Commission contested the application. In an affidavit, Wakiso District Returning Officer Musinguzi Tolbert described Matovu’s request as incompetent.
The petition was before Justice Johnson Karemani, who began hearing the case on October 16.
Matovu’s passing leaves NUP supporters, colleagues and residents of Busiro South mourning a former legislator whose final political campaign became tied to one of the constituency’s most contested parliamentary outcomes.
