Justice Musota to hear petition against Museveni swearing-in

Justice Stephen Musota, the Head - Civil Division of the High Court is at 2:30pm expected to hear a case in which two citizens petitioned court to block the May 12 inauguration of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Hakim Kizza and Moses Bigirwa on Monday morning appeared before the Court registrar, Alex Mackay Ajiji who allocated the file to Musota. The duo is seeking an interim order, blocking the swearing-in of Museveni on grounds of advanced age.

"I will fix the matter for hearing in the afternoon because of time so that it is expeditiously heard and disposed of," Ajiji said.

Meanwhile, the registrar advised the petitioners to serve the Attoney General (AG) with a notice of motion so that they appear in court to defend the case.

 The petitioners Hakim Kizza and Moses Bigirwa at court. Photo by Wilfred Sanya

In their application, the duo contends that Museveni is 79-years-old, which according to the Constitution would make him ineligible to be President of Uganda.

"I verily believe that Museveni is 79-years old as he participated in the general elections of 1961 and he was a voter and staunch supporter of the late Benedicto Kiwanuka when he was 23 years old," Bigirwa stated in his affidavit.

According to court documents, Museveni was born on September 15, 1944, which means that he is 72 years old this year.  But the petitioners want the court to issue an order subjecting Museveni's bones to a scientific examination to establish his true age.