Professional Engineers body (UIPE) split after tense election; loser runs to court, expelled
A recent election for presidency has threatened to tear apart the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE).
The tense week long virtual election pitted Eng. Annet Nsiimire against Eng. Bosco Lepi.
Established in 1972, UIPE brings together engineers from the various strands of engineering including civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, telecommunication engineering, environmental engineering, automotive and power engineering, industrial engineering and other categories of engineering including technicians and technologists.
Online voting started on March 8 up to March 15.
Eng. Lepi emerged winner with 977 votes or 63% against Eng.Annet’s 512 votes or 37%.
ANNET CHALLENGES THE RESULTS
Annet’s camp did not like the outcome and announced their intentions to challenge the results citing glaring illegalities.
On March 26, Eng.Annet wrote to the outgoing UIPE president Eng. Andrew Muhwezi demanding an audit trail and nullification of the results.
“Please be informed that my supporters and I are completely dissatisfied, appalled and embarrassed by the manner in which presidential elections were handled,” she wrote.
She opined that the elections were conducted without adherence to UIPE’s constitutional guidelines.
These included the failure to promulgate the 2023 constitution and the resultant reliance on an outdated 2016 constitution, which does not permit online voting mechanisms employed in the election hence rendering the whole process illegal.
Eng.Annet also stresses that together with her team, she was unfairly treated during the election process with an alleged systematic denial of rights, including access to voting and candidacy, actions that undermine the democratic principles of the institution and the rights of its members.
That they were not given a chance to look at the results, voters register or access to the online voting system despite the request to ascertain the authenticity of the results.
She also alleges that the online voting method deployed did not favor some of the voters who were not tech ready and many voters were denied their right to vote by the system.
She further points out among others that the announcement and declaration of the election results was done in violation of both the 2016 promulgated UIPE constitution and the unpromulgated 2023 UIPE constitution.
“In conclusion, therefore, the above illegalities and irregularities influenced the election outcome which denied the membership the much desired change at UIPE.
We demand that elections be declared null and void until an audit trail of the system is done. In addition, we demand that fresh elections be carried out in line with a valid constitution and presided over by a neutral returning officer. Failure to give a satisfactory response within 5 working days after receipt of this letter will lead to legal action,” she warned.
On 28th March, Eng.Muhwezi wrote back to Eng.Annet inviting her for a meeting over the matter at Hotel Africana on 3rd April. She wrote back on 2nd April giving a detailed version of how the election process was illegal and unfair.
Many issues remained unresolved and on 15th April, Eng.Annet through her lawyers of ASB advocates wrote an intention to sue Eng.Muhwezi.
ENG.ANNET EXPELLED FROM UIPE COUNCIL
However, in a twist of events, the following day, 16th April, Eng.Annet was expelled from UIPE’s governing Council where she was a member for allegedly flouting the members’ code of conduct rules.
“Reference is made to the UIPE 536th Council sitting of 16th April, 2024 and in particular agenda minute extract no. 9 in relation to the above subject matter.
Council has noted that you have on several occasions conducted yourself in a manner that grossly contravenes the UIPE Constitution,” the suspension letter reads in part.
She was accused of sharing information acquired in the course of her duties as a Council member with outsiders without express permission to do so.
That she had also continued to discredit the hard work of the current and previous Councils spanning several years.
Thirdly, UIPE blamed her for issuing an intention to sue the very Council where she belonged despite several candid engagements at various levels.
“While you have a right to raise issues of concern, the UIPE governance manual is very clear on how you raise issues and when this is done, you give the President time to investigate and take action,” Eng.Muhwezi wrote.
She was further blamed for her continued allegations of corruption, fraud and mismanagement by Council and Secretariat staff without proof.
“While we have committed to establish an independent committee of inquiry, you have instead continued to amplify these allegations and passing judgement on the very people you accuse. Your acts have thus put the Institution and those whom you mention in your letters in a very bad light to members and stakeholders. We find your general conduct lacking and not in line with a leader at the level of a Council member of a professional body.”
Based on these allegations and guided by the Constitution, UIPE Council at her 536th sitting of 16th April, 2024 put to vote a decision to expel Eng.Annet from the UIPE Council with immediate effect.
Out of 11 UIPE Council members present during the voting, 10 voted in favor of expelling her from Council.
It was agreed that Eng.Annet would also be subsequently removed from all the branch social media groups, except from Kampala Branch where she belongs and as well from all the mailing lists of Council and Council Committees where she was a member.
“Your conduct has created an irreversible toxic environment that has made it completely impossible to conduct council business at a critical time when we are engaged in preparing reports to provide accountability to the UIPE membership that entrusted us to superintend over the affairs of the Institution. As Council, we have found ourselves with no other option but to expel you and create an environment that allows us to execute our governance role and fulfill commitments we made to the members.”
This now leaves Eng.Annet as a mere UIPE member without any leadership position.
ENG.ANNET RUNS TO COURT
On 23rd April, Eng.Annet ran to court to nullify the election results.
She is seeking the following orders and declarations: “The plaintiffs’ cause of action against the defendant is for; a declaration that the UIPE Presidential Elections for 2024-2026 term held from the 8th to 15th March 2024 were marred with election illegalities and irregularities; a declaration that the UIPE Presidential Elections by the Defendant were not free and fair; a declaration that the electoral process conducted by the defendant violated the plaintiffs’ right to vote; a declaration that the internal laws of UIPE were not followed in the conducting of the said impugned elections, an order for nullification of the UIPE Presidential Elections for 2024-2026 term; an order to the defendant to conduct a fresh, free and fair Presidential Elections for the 2024-2026 term; an order for special and general damages; interests on damages, and costs of the suit.”
Consequently, the court blocked UIPE’s Annual General meeting which was supposed to take place on 26th April at Hotel Africana to swear in new members until the main issues in the case are resolved.
The AGM has since been moved to a new date pending the court’s outcome.
“This is to officially inform you that UIPE is currently facing a lawsuit arising out of the recently concluded Presidential Elections. We appeal to you to remain calm. We are working with our legal team to address this matter.
“It is important for all our members as law-abiding citizens to refrain from discussing this issue and expressing individual opinions, more so in social media, as it is now a subject of Court proceedings. We will provide further updates as appropriate.
Accordingly, our AGM scheduled for Friday 26th April 2024 has been postponed to 2:00pm on Friday 3rd May 2024 as has been advised by Court and subject to the outcome of the court hearing on Monday 29th April 2024. We regret any inconveniences,” announced Eng. Isaac Serwadda, UIPE’s honorary secretary.
CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS
Eng.Annet’s camp accuse some corrupt officials at UIPE for intentionally fighting her bid because she was going to expose them once elected. We shall exclusively write about the ROT at UIPE and suspected members involved in our subsequent publication. Some issues at hand include payment of huge bribes to be registered as a UIPE member, lots of subscription fees with no value for money including exorbitant almost mandatory continuous professional Development training with little or no value and among others.
“UIPE is housing and seating on these injustices, fraud and corruption with no action. Eng.Annet has compiled them and presented them for action. The action taken by UIPE was her expulsion,” wondered a UIPE member.
“We told Eng. Nsiimire (by keeping quiet to stop soiling the reputation of the institution but she couldn’t listen. Instead she kept asking for action. I hope this reaction suits her demand. My free advice to her is that she should appreciate the Council for giving a very lenient reaction, otherwise, her UIPE registration could have been withdrawn,” commented a UIPE member in one of the WhatsApp groups.
Eng. Vincent Ochwo, UIPE’s electoral commission chairperson however, described elections as transparent, free and fair elections that showed a proper representation of engineers after evaluating manifestos to take the institution forward.
“The number of registered voters was 3,077 and the number of votes cast was 1,549 votes representing 50.3% where Lepi emerged victorious,” said.
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