By KT Reporter
The Electoral Commission (EC) is expected to deliver its ruling in a petition challenging the nomination of candidates for the Kawempe South parliamentary seat. The petition was filed nearly two weeks ago by one Ddamulira, who claims that several candidates were wrongly nominated because their nomination forms allegedly lacked signatures of registered voters from the area.
Ddamulira further argues that some candidates were nominated for the Kawempe South Constituency instead of the Kawempe South Division. A similar petition previously filed by Ivan Bwowe in Nakawa West was dismissed by both the Electoral Commission and the court.
On Monday, the EC Chairperson, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, met the candidates and informed them that the verdict would be delivered Today. Among the candidates on tenterhooks, with only two days left to polling day, is Fred Nyanzi, the elder brother of National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine.
Dr Roy Ssemboga, who attended the EC meeting, said the petition has disrupted his campaign activities since last week. He noted that they have repeatedly sought an expedited hearing of the matter in vain. Dr Ssemboga, who is among the three candidates expected to mount a spirited contest in Kawempe South, said he sometimes returns to the constituency late to campaign, only to be blocked by police.
Fred Nyanzi, contesting on the NUP ticket; Dr Roy Ssemboga, running as an independent after failing to secure the NUP ticket; and Hajjat Madina Nsereko, an independent, are widely perceived as the frontrunners in the Kawempe South race ahead of Thursday’s polls.
Lawyers Abubaker Ssekanjako and Derrick Bazzeketta have urged the Electoral Commission to compel Ddamulira to compensate the candidates for the time and resources lost due to the petition. The lawyers argued that there is a need to deter individuals from filing unfounded petitions.
Ssekanjako said Ddamulira is not only dishonest in his petition but also deliberately misled the Electoral Commission on a matter without merit. He added that even the academic qualifications of some candidates, which Ddamulira challenges, were not attached to the petition.
The Kawempe South parliamentary candidates remain anxious, following a precedent set in the Makindye Division mayoral race, where 11 candidates were disqualified, leaving NRM’s Yasin Omari unopposed. However, other candidates, including NUP’s John Bosco Lusagala, have since dragged the Electoral Commission to court.
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