Presidential Candidate Mayambala expresses interest in taking over Kyagulanyi petition

By Rachael Najjuma

25^th February 2021

The last Presidential candidate in the just concluded 2021 elections, Willy Mayambala has written to the Supreme Court expressing interest in taking over the petition by National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi challenging President Museveni’s victory.

Mayambala who polled only 15,014 votes representing 0.15% has even served Robert Kyagulanyi’s legal team led by Medard Lubega Sseggona that started the process of withdrawing the petition yesterday on the orders of their client.

In his letter  he has written objecting to the withdraw of the presidential petition formerly logged in by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu against several defendants as outlined in his petition in his letter to the supreme court today.

Mayambala wants court to take him through the necessary procedures and the other requirements to enable him take over the petition and whether there is any chance for him to present new evidence in the case.

In his application yesterday, Kyagulanyi said he has been forced to withdraw the petition he filed because he thinks the court has not put in place grounds favorable for his petition to succeed.

In the law Section 61 the Presidential Elections Act, 2005 stipulates that a petition shall not be withdrawn except with leave of court and after such notice has been given as the court may direct.

“On the hearing of the application for withdrawal, any candidate who might have been a petitioner in respect of the election to which the petition refers may apply to the court to be substituted as a petitioner for the petitioner who desires to withdraw,”

In simple terms, the law allows any person who was a candidate in the said election to take over the petition provided the original petitioner loses interest in it.