The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | High court has dismissed a petition seeking to block the nomination of Cissy Namujju for re-election as the Lwengo District Woman Member of parliament. Masaka High Court Judge, Victoria Katumba Nankintu dismissed the application filed by Namujju’s rival Sarah Nkonge Muwonge on Monday.
Muwonge had petitioned High court through her lawyer, Sam Sserwanga seeking a temporary injunction blocking Electoral Commission and the District Registrar from nominating Namujju for the 2021 polls on grounds that her academic document carry different from those she registered in the Electoral Commission registry.
Court heard that Namujju’s O’ and A’ certificates bare 2 names of Namujju Dionizia yet the EC register and the national registry has 3 names of Namujju Cissy Dionizia, which means these are two different people. “The certificates of the defendant (Namujju) holds have different names compared to what appears in the national and EC registers. She shouldn’t use such certificates to be nominated to contest as a member of parliament,” Sserwanga told the court.
However, Namujju’s lawyers led by Geoffrey Ntambirweki Kandeebe and Joseph Waswa told the court that the law requires people with different names on the national register and academic document to do a statutory declaration as opposed to a deed poll as the applicants had noted.
They explained that their client Namujju complied with the statutory declaration as required by the law and asked court to dismiss the application. In her ruling, Justice Nakintu, concurred with Namujju’s defence team, saying the controversy on the names of Namujju’s academci documents was determined in a case filed by Nkonge’s supporter, Paul Sserwanga before Masaka High Court in 2016 and later the Court of Appeal where it was dismissed.
“The academic certificates the defendant holds have a similar name (Namujju) that appears on her national identity card, which indicates that this is the same person and the defense counsel has proved that Namujju did a statutory declaration as required by law to explain the variation in her names. I therefore find no merit in this case and it’s hereby dismissed with costs,” Justice Nakintu ruled.
Namujju’s lawyer Geoffrey Ntambirweki Kandeebe welcomed the court decision, saying Court had agreed with their submission that their client didn’t have to do a deed poll as the Attorney General recently told parliament.
Namujju’s supporters welcomed the court ruling, saying Dr. Nkonge should stop contesting Namujju’s academic papers because she went through school and has the requisite academic qualifications to run for election as Member of Parliament.
Joseph Lubega Bazonona, the Lwengo District NRM Public Secretary, says they are happy that their candidate has been cleared by the court to contest in the coming general elections.
“We are happy that finally, court has cleared our flag bearer and we are just waiting for the nomination day to escort her for nomination. We are optimistic that we are going to win the seat come 2021,” he boasted.
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