Igara East elections campaigns commence
Nov 28, 2017
Last month, the court of appeal nullified the election of Andrew Martial as MP for the area, after former area MP Michael Mawanda Maranga petitioned the Feb. 2016 election results sighting bribery and defamation during the campaigns.
The battle for the Igara East Constituency MP seat has kicked off with six people contesting for the vacant seat.
The electoral commission office in Bushenyi opened the campaign exercise for all the candidates beginning Sunday and will run up to Dec 12 before the elections are held on December 14.
Last month, the court of appeal nullified the election of Andrew Martial as MP for the area, after former area MP Michael Mawanda Maranga petitioned the Feb. 2016 election results sighting bribery and defamation during the campaigns.
Mawanda who contested as an independent to regain his seat after losing in the primaries in same elections, had been MP for the area for one term.
But he was again defeated by Andrew Martial (NRM), after polling 15091 votes to Martial’s 15983 in a close contest.
However, he contested the results, sighting irregularities in the voting, tallying and announcing of results.
He lost the petition at the Mbarara High court by then appealed the petition immediately after the Mbarara High Court decision.
Martial, who had won under the NRM flag and had been to parliament for a period of 19 months, is among the contestants and as the NRM flag bearer to retain his seat while Mawanda is again back as an independent.
Others are Benjamin Katana, Bernard Kananura Bahemuka and David Armstrong who are also contesting as independents and Christine Ninsiima Bekunika on the FDC ticket.
The Igara East by-election, will be among the many that have been organized in different constituencies following hips of petitions filed after the February 2016 general elections.