The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | The Court of Appeal upheld the election of NRM’s Peter Mugema alias Panadol as the validly elected MP for Iganga Municipality.
Three Justices including former Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma, Catherine Bamugemereire and Cheborion Barishaki overturned the decsion of Jinja High Court Judge Magret Mutonyi that had nullified Mugema’s victory on grounds of bribery of voters.
In their ruling they say there was no evidence linking Panadol to the alleged bribery.
They explained that FDC’s Mudyobole Abed Nassar failed to bring sufficient evidence to prove that a one Ngobi Yasin and Waibi Siraje bribed voters on behalf of Panadol.
They also observed that the allegation that Panadol donated 300,000 shs at the Cross Over prayer on December 31, 2016 in Iganga, is baseless since both of them were present at the said prayer meeting and gave offertories.
They therefore found that there was no proof that the said offertory qualified to be a bribe, and subsequently allowed Panadol’s appeal with costs.
Mudyobole will now have to pay Mugema all the money he incurred in defending his victory both in the High Court and Court of Appeal.
However Mudyobole’s Lawyer Alex Luganda feels that there is a need to amend the law on election appeals to allow dissatisfied litigants to proceed to the Supreme Court, as there are absurd decisions of law that are being set by the Court of Appeal.
