NRM losers fail to block nominations

ELECTION WATCH|NRM PRIMARIES

The three former contestants for the Woman MP seats in Mbarara city, Kazo and Rwampara districts who lost in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party elections are in trouble after their hope of blocking the nominations of flag bearers failed.

This was after courts of law dismissed their interim injunctions last week.

State minister for economic monitoring Molly Nawe Kamukama, who lost to Jenipher Rwaburibate Agaba Muheesi in the Kazo elections, dragged the NRM and Muheesi to Mbarara High Court, seeking to block her nomination.

Dr Tanga Odoi, the NRM electoral commission chairperson, in September declared Muheesi the winner. Muheesi got 16,802 votes against Kamukama's 16,715.

Appearing before Lady Justice Joyce Kavuma on Wednesday, Kamukama through her lawyer, Robert Mackay, told the court that she challenged the endorsement of Muheesi as the NRM party flagbearer because the elections were marred by vote rigging and other irregularities.

"Therefore, we seek this court to stop the NRM electoral commission from endorsing Muheesi as the party flag-bearer and not to be nominated by the national Electoral Commission until the main case is disposed of," Mackay told the court.

However, the respondent's lawyers, Ngaruye Ruhindi, representing NRM and Mark Mugisha, representing Muheesi, disagreed with Mackay's submissions, saying Muheesi was the lawful winner and petitions were heard by the NRM party tribunal, which maintained her as duly elected flag-bearer for Kazo Woman MP 2020.

Ngaruye said the interim injunction stopping the nomination of Muheesi had no merit and said his clients, the NRM party, were not served in time to study the files. He asked the court to dismiss the application with costs.

Justice Kavuma dismissed it with costs and also adjourned the main suit to October 21, 2020.

Rwampara flag-bearer

Another court presided over by Samuel Twakyire, the acting deputy registrar of Mbarara High Court, also dismissed with costs the interim injunctions filed by Annah Kansiime, a former aspirant for the Rwampara District Woman MP seat, seeking court to stop NRM party electoral commission from endorsing Molly Asiimwe as the flag-bearer for Rwampara and also stop her (Asiimwe) from being nominated by the National Electoral Commission until the main suit before Justice Tadeo Asiimwe is disposed of.

Kansiime, who was represented by her lawyers, Charles Nandala Wamakoota and Allan Kikule Samson, said their client was the rightful winner and the flag-bearer for Rwampara as declared by Richard Asiimwe, the district party registrar.

However, Odoi declared that Molly Asiimwe was the winner with 17,808 votes, followed by Annah Kansiime who got 16,566 votes.

The registrar dismissed the case, after lawyers Ruhindi for the NRM and Joan Namanya, representing Asiimwe, argued that Kansiime was wasting time in trying to block Asiimwe from being nominated as the NRM endorsed flag-bearer.

On Thursday, Justice Asiimwe, who is hearing the main suit, adjourned the case to today.

The lawyers for the respondents told the court that their counterparts served the receptionist at the NRM offices instead of serving the party's legal team.

Kansiime has promised to stand as an independent candidate for the same seat in the 2021 general elections, saying she will prove the party wrong.

NRM city flag-bearer cleared

Bonnie Kiconco Mutungi Kashaija's Mbarara City NRM flagship for Woman MP Seat is being challenged by her opponent Rita Atukwasa Bwahika.

She dragged her to Mbarara High Court seeking the court to stop the nominations of Kashaija by the National Electoral Commission. 

Atukwasa ran to court after the NRM party electoral commission tribunal cancelled her victory as the flag-bearer and declared Bonnie Kiconco Mutungi Kashaija the lawful winner after investigating her petitions to the tribunal.