Court upholds victory of Isingiro West County MP

Mbarara, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Mbarara High Court Judge Moses Kawumi Kazibwe has dismissed with costs, an election petition filed against Isingiro West County Member of Parliament Reuben Arinaitwe.

Arinatwe defeated Tumwesigye with 7,992 votes while Tumwesigye got 7,975 votes.

Tumwesigye petitioned the court challenging Arinaitwe’s victory on grounds that there was non-compliance with the provisions of the electoral laws and the failure to conduct the elections per the law affected the outcome of the results.

He also argued that the Electoral Commission deliberately omitted the results from the three contested polling stations of Ruborogota, Nyabugando and Migyera.

Arinaitwe’s lawyer Gadson Agaba objected to the petition contending that he was duly elected and prayed for the dismissal of the petition. He was also seeking an adjustment of his winning margin from 17 votes to 400 votes, which he says were wrongly counted in favour of the petitioner.

In the ruling read by the acting Deputy Registrar Samuel Twakire, Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi dismissed the petition noting that the petitioner failed on a balance of probabilities and to the satisfaction of the court to prove that the winning majority of the respondent would have been reduced in such way as to put victory of the election in doubt.

“The 1st respondent was thus validly elected as the Member of Parliament for Isingiro west constituency”, read the judgement. He dismissed the petition with costs to both the respondents.

Tumwesigye’s lawyer Collins Nuwagaba disagreed with the ruling noting that they will wait for their client to permit them to appeal.

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