Court stores broken into, ballot box seals broken ahead of recount

Simon Ssekidde

MPIGI - Police in Mpigi is investigating an incident where unknown people broke into the Mpigi chief Magistrate's court store where exhibits are kept and removed seals from over eight ballot boxes that are currently kept there.

The ballot boxes are the ones which were used in conducting the February 18th parliamentary elections for the Butambala woman MP seat that was won by Lydia Mirembe.

Immediately after the elections, Aisha Kabanda, who came second in these elections, went to court and filed an application seeking for a vote recount in the 13 polling station found in Budde sub county .

In her affidavit she lodged before court, Kabanda argued that most of her valid votes at these polling stations were invalidated by polling officials and others given to her closest rival at the time of counting and tallying.

Jolly Nkore Swanda, the Mpigi chief magistrate, after hearing the both sides in this case on the February 27, ordered for a vote recount and for the said ballot boxes in question to be produced before court to allow the recount to take place.

Lydia Mirembe and the electoral commission lawyers appealed against the magistrate's ruling before the recount took place arguing that in her ruling, the magistrate did not follow the law governing the recounts.

The chief magistrate stayed her order on the recount to allow high court pronounce its self on the issue of the law as it was raised by lawyers representing the electoral commission.

Since then, the 13 ballot boxes and the declaration forms have been kept at the court store where unknown people broke into and removed the court seals and also went away with some of the declaration forms.

Aisha Kabanda, on hearing the news, went to mpigi police station to confirm.

The police publicist for Katonga region Philip Mukasa, when contacted, said police is still investigating the incident and refused to divulge information saying it would jeopardize investigations.

Kabanda said she knows some people behind this and appealed to police to do thorough investigation into the matter.

"I want police to investigate this matter, we did our part and went to court, we followed the laws but it seems like our friends are not ready to allow the law take its course" the angry Kabanda said.

She threatened to mobilize her voters to pitch camp at Mpigi Chief Magistrates  court to demand for their victory.