Court starts hearing 85 poll petition appeals

The Court of Appeal has started hearing 85 appeals arising out of the parliamentary poll petitions that were heard by the various High Courts across the country.

In May this year, the Principal Judge, Yorokamu Bamwine, tasked 26 high court judges to hear and dispose of 118 petitions arising from the February 18 polls. As per the law, the judges were to hear the petitions within three months.

By the end of September, several of the judges had concluded the cases before them and as the rulings were being made, parties not satisfied with the decisions petitioned the court of Appeal, which according to the amended electoral laws is the last to decide on Parliamentary petitions.

The first appeal was filed by the National Resistance Movement against Kabahenda Flavia, the Kyegegwa Woman Member of Parliament.

Their court battle started when she lost in the NRM primaries and petitioned court, arguing that her votes were stolen. Court ruled in her favour but NRM being aggrieved by the decision, decided to appeal.

Notable among these petitions is one filed by Peter Ssematimba whose victory was quashed by the high court over lack of the requisite academic qualifications. Others who have also petitioned include, Nathan Igeme Nabeta, Sarah Opendi, Hellen Adoa and Apollo Katinti.

According to a source from the courts' registry who preferred anonymity, all the appeals will be heard in Kampala by the 14 court of Appeal justices led by the Deputy Chief Justice, Steven Kavuma.

However, the source also revealed that they are still receiving more petitions