Jinja South West case: Court drops witness over Zoom link failure
Julius Galisonga, the lead counsel representing the petitioner, Moses Grace Balyeku, told Justice Vincent Wagona at the Jinja High Court that Hafswa Namuganza failed to join the link due to poor network connectivity.
Batuwa waves to his supporters who accompanied him to court on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Photo by Jackie Nambogga)
_____________________ Batuwa (front), Galisonga (centre) and Mudiobole emerge from the courtroom after the hearing of the petition at the High Court in Jinja on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Photo by Jackie Nambogga)
A lawyer in the ongoing hearing of the Jinja City South West parliamentary election petition on Wednesday (September 30) asked the trial judge to drop one of the witnesses from court records after the cross-examination via Zoom failed.
Julius Galisonga, the lead counsel representing the petitioner, Moses Grace Balyeku, told Justice Vincent Wagona at the Jinja High Court that Hafswa Namuganza failed to join the link due to poor network connectivity.
Court had resolved on Balyeku’s 17 witnesses for cross-examination in a petition he challenged the victory of Dr Timothy Lusala Batuwa of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and the Electoral Commission for failing to tally results from 10 polling stations.
Batuwa, who is the first respondent, is represented by Abed Nasser Mudiobole while Ivan Oloya is representing the EC.
“We close the petitioner’s case for hearing and pray that the last witness be struck off court records because we have failed to parade her for cross-examination by the respondents,” Galisonga said.
Accordingly, Wagona asked if the two respondents in this matter were comfortable with the decision, to which they had no objection.
Galisonga briefed Wagona on how they were through with parading the 16 witnesses, who included the applicant himself and five former candidates in the same race that attracted 9 of them.
The former contestants who were among the witnesses are Bernard Mbayo (FDC), Shamim Nangobi of the Democratic Front (DF), Paul Kawanguzi (PFF), plus Ivan Isiko and Geoffrey Mutesa (independents).
Also in the witness box were polling assistants such as Peace Kobusingye, who admitted for wrongly entering data on a Declaration Form.
Mudiobole tasked her to explain why the figures on the form were not reflecting the words, yet this was her second time while participating in the electioneering.
One of the forms read sixteen ballot papers in words, while the figure reflected 600.
Kobusigye described this as a mistake, which she admitted.
Much as court wanted to proceed with commencing cross-examination of Batuwa, Galisonga asked for adjournment after his counterpart, Mudiobole, was reportedly feeling a sharp headache.
Accordingly, Wagona pushed the matter to the following day.