High Court dismisses Nakawa West petition

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The High Court in Kampala has dismissed a petition in which People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) party candidate Ivan Bwowe sought disqualification of his parliamentary race rivals, including incumbent Leader of Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi, on grounds that they applied for a non-existing constituency.

Bwowe accused his rivals, who also include Anderson Burora, Felix Okuye, Vincent Norbert Okumu, Wilberforce Kyambadde and Apuuli Rwamiti of filling Nakawa West, a purportedly non–existent constituency, on their nomination forms instead of the gazetted Nakawa Division West.

It is on the account that Bwowe was seeking to be declared as an unopposed candidate for Nakawa Division West race.

However, in a ruling delivered on Thursday (January 8), High Court judge Collins Acellam dismissed the petition on grounds that "Nakawa West" Constituency and " Nakawa Division West Constituency" are one and the same but often used interchangeably.

“This petition has not succeeded for the reasons explained above. The only remedy is to have it dismissed. It is accordingly dismissed. The Electoral Commission’s decision is upheld,” ruled Justice Acellam.

Justifying his decision, the judge said the control forms of the candidates’ parties and all proceeding documents in respect to their nomination indicate the constituency as Nakawa Division West.

“Thus, the clerical error was corrected and cannot be held to cause confusion to anyone and most certainly not the petitioner."

He ruled that each party "should meet their costs".

The parliamentary elections will take place next Thursday (January 15), alongside polling for Uganda's next president.