Court Dismisses Petition against Bukanga MP Kangwagye
Mbarara | RedPeppe Digital – The High Court of Mbarara has finally dismissed the most controversial electoral petition in which MP Steven Kangwagye Rwakanuma was taken to court over election irregularities for Bukanga parliamentary seat in Isingiro District.
Moses Mpeirwe Kashaija petitioned to the High Court of Mbarara accusing his opponent Kangwagye that he was invalidly declared the winner for Bukanka MP Seat. Mpeirwe alleged that in the last general election, Bukanga was the most constituent that received the most electoral malpractices and election irregularities that were caused by the camp of his opponent Kangwagye.
When Kangwagye was declared as the winner for Bukanga MP Seat, Mpeirwe immediately petitioned to court challenging the declaration of Kangwagye.
Mpeirwe with his lawyers led by the Senior Counsel Frank Kandiho outlined a number of grounds that were holding different affidavits intending to pin Kangwagye and the electoral commission that election in Bukanga was not free and fair. In this regard, Mpairwe and his Lawyers were seeking a bye-election for Bukanga MP Seat.
Nevertheless, the court has on Friday quashed all the grounds in the petition as null and void.
According to Hon. Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi the Mbarara High Court judge revealed in his judgment which was read by the Mbarara Deputy Registrar Samuel Twakiire that the affidavits and evidence submitted by the petitioner and his Lawyers were not valid enough to pin the respondents or overturn the victory of MP Kangwagye.
“I substantially affect the result of an election, this premised on the fact that an election is an expression of the will of the people and it cannot merely be overturned on trivialities, I thus hold that the election was held in compliance with the provisions and principals enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of Uganda and the relevant electoral laws” decision by Kazibwe.”
The first respondent (Kangwagye) was this validly returned as the duly elected member of Parliament for the constituency and the petition is accordingly dismissed. Remedies, the petitioner shall pay costs to the respondents each party shall receive 50% of the tasked costs” he added.
However, Mpeirwe disagreed with the judgment say that the decision was so biased. ” I must tell u that this decision by the high court Judge was very biased and no one can contend it, so we have no option but to the decision of the High court,” said Mpeirwe.
While speaking to the journalists, Kangwagye said that the decision of court was on will and the mandate and now the powers being given by the people of Bukanga, that nobody else who brought this to success but only those people who were in the constituency.
That what his opponents were alleging has totally been quashed because they failed to produce any evidence that could even show that Kangwagye did anything bad during that time of election.
“I had a very big merging of votes against my brother Mpeirwe as my opponent and today the truth has come out that those people in Bukanga really have powers and their voice should be heard and should purely respect. Issues concerning costs let my lawyers sit and what they will come out with it’s what we shall go with, but the most important message I give to my people whether from my camp or from the other opponent’s camp is just to remain together because there is no need for us to divide, there is no need for us to fight, let’s go and work and stop putting a lot of pressure, putting a lot of tension to our people, now elections are done we must go back and work for our people” said Kangwagye.
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