The Court of Appeal Justices will deliver on notice judgements from the appeals arising from the Kayunga and Mityana District Woman Parliamentary polls.
The panel of three justices comprising Geoffrey Kiryabwire, Stephen Musota and Christopher Gashirabake announced the decision after the parties in both appeals informed the Court that they had filed written submissions.
In the first matter, Joyce Bagala Ntwatwa, the incumbent Mityana Woman member of parliament is appealing the decision by the Mubende High Court Judge, Emmanuel Baguma to nullify her election victory following a successful petition by the lands, housing and Urban Development Minister, Judith Nabakooba.
Bagala who ran on the National Unity Platform (NUP) party ticket won the hotly contested race with 64,305 votes. Nabakooba came second with 48,078 votes. Dissatisfied with the poll result, Nabakooba petitioned the High Court accusing Bagala of voter bribery and multiple voting, which resulted in noncompliance with the laws governing elections in the country.
Justice Baguma agreed with Nabakooba and consequently nullified Bagala’s victory prompting her to appeal the decision arguing that the judge erred in law and fact when he held that on a balance of probabilities that Nabakooba adduced sufficient evidence to prove that she had bribed voters.
Through her lawyers of Lukwago and Company Advocates, Bagala further faulted the judge for holding that businessman Francis Butebi Sembusi and Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake were her agents. She told our reporter shortly after the adjournment that the people of Mityana made their choice and decided to elect her as their representative, adding that she believes that the Court of Appeal will confirm her victory.
The same court also promised to deliver judgement on notice of the consolidated appeals filed by Nazigo Sub County Councilor Ritah Nabadda and the former Kayunga Woman parliamentary candidate, Jackline Kobusingye Birungi against their rival, Idah Erios Nantaba.
The two accuse Nantaba of lack of the minimum academic qualifications to stand for the election of members of parliament. Mukono High Court threw out their applications on grounds that Nantaba swore affidavits indicating that the discrepancies in her name on her academic documents belong to her.
Court threw out Nazigo’s petition on grounds that she had failed to secure signatures from the required 500 voters to support her petition. The two ran to the Court of Appeal to nullify Nantaba’s victory and order fresh elections in Kayunga. Nantaba says the applicants are fronts for mafias who are trying to fail her.
The same court asked Bukomansimbi North MP, Christine Ndiwalana Nandagire who is challenging the decision to throw her out of Parliament for lack of academic qualifications to return on March 31st 2022 to get the date for judgement.
Mpigi High Court nullified Nandagire’s victory following a successful petition by her rival Ruth Katushabe of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).