Lawyers want Kayunga District LCV by-election court case dismissed

By Racheal Najjuma

31^st May 2022

photo from URN

The lawyers representing Andrew Muwonge, the winner of the Kayunga LCV by-election have asked High Court in Mukono to dismiss the election petition filed by the loser Harriet Nakwedde.

Nakwedde sued Muwonge and the Electoral Commission for allegedly conspiring to rob her victory.

On Monday, Muwonge’s lawyers headed by Oscar Kihika and that of the Electoral Commission Eric Sabiiti asked the court to dismiss the application before considering scheduling to hear the petition.

Kihika notes that the applicant did not follow the local government act provisions regarding petitions to challenge any victory of a candidate. He told the court that the applicant filed and served the respondents out of the required time making them incompetent.

Nakwedde’s lawyer Jonathan Erotu from Lukwago Advocates asked the court to ignore the request from Muwonge’s lawyers and schedule a hearing of the petition.

However, Justice Alex Mackay Ajiji Justice Ajiji gave both sides time to complete the filing of the affidavits.

In her petition, Nakwedde accuses Muwonge either personally or through his agents of having engaged in bribery in ten places and having conspired with the Electoral Commission to alter results from 130 polling stations across the district.

Among the other persons accused in the application include, the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja for bribing voters, senior members of the NRM party that including the Secretary-General Richard Todwong, Communications Director Emmanuel Dombo, and the Director for Mobilization Rosemary Sseninde.

She also claims that there was an alteration of results at various polling stations.

The Electoral Commission declared Muwonge winner with 31,830 votes, followed by NUP’s Nakwedde with 31,308 votes, and Independent Candidate Majid Nyanzi third with 1,287 votes in a by-election on December 16, 2021, to replace the late Ffefeka Sserubogo.

Others were Boniface Musisi Bandikubi and Jamilu Kamoga who also stood as independent candidates and obtained 470 votes and 279 votes respectively and Democratic Party’s Anthony Wandiba who trailed the pack with 158 votes.