NRM expelled MPs ruling due soon

By John Semakula

The four National Resistance Movement (NRM) rebel MPs whose continued stay in the August House is contested by their party in Court will know their fate soon.

Judiciary spokesperson Erias Kisawuzi had told New Vision that the ruling will be delivered immediately after this week’s annual Judges’ Conference.

Kisawuzi, who first asked for time to consult the Acting Chief Justice Steven Kavuma on the situation of the case said they would issue a notice on the ruling this week.

Justice Kavuma had set October 15, 2013 for the Constitutional Court to deliver its final judgment in the case. But the October 15 fell on a public holiday and since then nothing had been heard.

Justice Kavuma had issued the October 15, 2013 deadline after the Constitutional Court issued a temporary injunction stopping the MPs from accessing Parliament.

The MPs bitterly protested the ruling and petitioned the Supreme Court which later reversed the decision and allowed them to temporarily remain in August House until after the ruling in the main application.

The four rebel MPs are; Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga), Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East), Mohammed Nsereko (Kampala Central) and Barnabas Tinkasiimire (Buyaga).

But MP Niwagaba told New Vision that they (four rebel MPs) lost interest in the case and stopped following it.

“We pulled out of the case when we realized that there was bias in the Constitutional Court and now we don’t know what is going on,” Niwagaba said.

After the NRM Central Executive Committee expelled the rebel MPs over indiscipline last year, the party leadership petitioned the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga to throw them out but she refused.

NRM and two of its supporters, including Lt. Saleh Kamba (Kibuku MP) later petitioned the Constitutional Court challenging Kadaga’s decision.

The two parties have since fought technical battles in Court and the observers think that the war has just started. The battle is likely to end in the Supreme Court.