Kalungu Election Petition Hearing Concludes, Awaiting Submissions

The legal battle over the Kalungu District Woman Member of Parliament seat has reached a new stage, with the High Court in Masaka closing the hearing of the petition challenging Minister Aisha Ssekindi’s victory.

Hellen Nakeeya, the former National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate who lost to Ssekindi in the January 15 parliamentary election, filed the petition. Ssekindi, currently the State Minister for Water, contested as an independent after opting out of the NRM primaries.

During the proceedings, Nakeeya, the lead witness for the petitioner, testified about alleged violence against her supporters on the eve of the election. She claimed that the incidents distracted her campaign and negatively impacted her performance. Nakeeya also alleged that the election was marred by vote rigging and other irregularities.

Specifically, Nakeeya told the court that two of her supporters were fatally shot while distributing appointment letters to polling agents. Two others were reportedly injured in the same incident. She urged the court to nullify Ssekindi’s victory and order a fresh election.

However, Nakeeya was unable to provide a police reference number for the alleged attacks when questioned by the respondents’ lawyers. The defense team also indicated they were abandoning cross-examination of several of the petitioner’s witnesses, opting to focus on Nakeeya and another witness who claimed to have photographic evidence of alleged voter bribery. This witness later admitted the photos were sourced from social media, raising questions about their authenticity and origin.

Minister Ssekindi, appearing as a respondent witness, refuted the allegations of electoral irregularities. She stated that she was unaware of the alleged attacks until after the election when court documents were served on her lawyers.

The court has directed both parties to file their final submissions by October 1 for the petitioner and October 8 for the respondents. Justice Bernard Namanya will then issue further directions regarding the judgment delivery.

This case is one of several petitions filed in the Greater Masaka region challenging parliamentary election results. It is worth noting that a police escort attached to Minister Ssekindi was later charged with criminal negligence in connection with the violence that occurred on the eve of polling, which resulted in two deaths and two injuries.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)