REBELS: Hearing of NRM Application Fails to Kick Off Again

Hearing of an application in, which NRM is seeking the expulsion of four members of parliament from the house, has failed to kick off for the second time before the constitutional court. The application came up for hearing on Wednesday morning but John Mary Mugisha, the NRM lawyer asked for an adjournment saying they were not ready to proceed with the case. Mugisha said they need time to allow President Yoweri Museveni, the NRM chairperson and secretary general Amama Mbabazi to respond to the voluminous defense filed by Wilfred Niwagaba, the Ndorwa East MP.

He explained that the 38 page defense raises serious allegations against the person of Museveni and Amama Mbabazi. Mugisha explained that they need time to meet both officials to respond to the allegations before hearing of the application can take off. The lawyers of the accused led by retired former Supreme Court judge George Kanyeihamba didn’t object to the application. The panel of the three judges of the constitutional court comprising Steven Kavuma, Augustine Nshimye and Remy Kasule agreed to adjourn the case for 21 days to July 03rd.

The judges ordered both parties to ensure that they file all their defense by the time the court reconvenes. This is the second name hearing of the NRM application has failed to kick off. On June 04th, the case hit a snag after it emerged that NRM had not yet served Muhammad Nsereko, one of the embattled NRM MPs. The others are Barnabas Tinkasimire, the Buyaga East Member of parliament and Theodore Ssekikubo, the Lyemiyaga, county MP.  The four MPs were expelled from NRM for alleged indiscipline by the central executive committee chaired by President Yoweri Museveni in March this year.

As a result, Amama Mbabazi, the NRM secretary general wrote to the speakers asking her to expel the legislators in vain. In her ruling Rebecca Kadaga argued that there was no basis for expelling the MPs from parliament. This compelled the NRM leadership led by President Yoweri Museveni to file a petition before the constitutional court seeking the expulsion of the MPs.