The High Court in Jinja has dismissed the petition challenging the election of NRM’s Nathan Nabeeta’s election as Jinja Southern Division East MP.
Paul Mwiru of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) had sought court to nullify the victory of the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) Nathan Nabeeta on grounds of gross violation of the electoral laws.
Presiding judge Issa Sserunkuma had last week said he would deliver the ruling in the matter today, after both parties – the petitioner and the respondent, through their lawyers concluding their submissions.
While delivering the ruling this morning, Sserunkuma said that Mwiiru failed to substantially convince court there indeed were sufficient grounds to call for the nullification of Nabeeta’s victory as sought.
Through his Lawyers of Peter Walubiri and Company Advocates, Mwiiru had in his petition filed in March accused the Electoral Commission (EC) and Nabeta for conniving to rob his victory in the January 14 elections.
He alleged that results declared were falsified, and exaggerated, singling out those at Masese I Polling Station (N-M), coupled by use of violence against voters, something that, according to the petitioner, adversely impacted on the outcome of the poll.
Mwiru had previously faced off with Nabeeta on two occasions with the contest getting settled through Court after the latter winning at the ballot, the latest being in 2016 when court threw out Nabeeta and declared the seat vacant.
Mwiru, of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change( FDC) by then triumphed over Nabeeta in the 2018 by election.
The High Court in Jinja had ruled to stay Nabeeta’s victory only to be overturned at the court of appeal. By the time of filing this story, it’s not yet clear whether Mwiru will opt to appeal against the judgement or concede.
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