High Court Dismisses Paul Akamba's Election Petition Against Busiki MP

The High Court has delivered a major blow to former Member of Parliament Paul Akamba after dismissing his election petition challenging the victory of Busiki County MP Waiswa Joel Azalwa. In an electronic judgment, Justice Patience Rubagumya ruled that the petitioner failed to prove statutory grounds to overturn the election results.

Akamba had contested the election outcome on several grounds, including allegations of ballot stuffing, multiple voting, voter intimidation, bribery, and the abduction of his polling agents. A central point of the petition was a disruption at the Budongo (A-I) Namutumba Primary School polling station, where violence and chaos temporarily halted voting before police intervened and materials were recovered.

While acknowledging that non-compliance with electoral laws occurred at the Budongo station, Justice Rubagumya noted that the disruption was isolated to a single station out of the 194 polling stations across Busiki County. Citing voter turnout data, the court determined that the incident did not substantially affect the ultimate outcome of the parliamentary race.

The court also dismissed various other claims regarding violence and irregularities at stations such as Nalusolo Junction, Bukairu Mosque, and Igerera C.O.U. for lack of cogent and independent evidence. Allegations that Azalwa engaged in voter bribery through financial contributions to local savings groups and associations were similarly thrown out after the defense successfully rebutted the claims with verifiable financial records.

Ultimately, Justice Rubagumya confirmed Waiswa Joel Azalwa as the validly elected Member of Parliament for Busiki County and awarded costs to the respondent while exempting the Electoral Commission from paying costs despite noting security lapses at one polling center.

Read more details about the ruling on The Observer.