PARLIAMENT–The Court of Appeal has declared Robert Ssebunya as the validly elected Member of Parliament for Nansana Municipality.
The court has upheld a lower court’s decision that nullified the election of Wakayima Musoke Nsereko.
Three justices of the appellate court have ruled that “Wakayima Musoke was not a registered voter and therefore never qualified for nomination and election as MP for Nansana Municipality.”
The ruling read by deputy registrar Deo Nzeyimana says he was nominated as Wakayima Musoke Nsereko yet his national ID and voters register bear the name of Hannington Musoke Nsereko and that the discrepancy in names shows that the Wakiso district returning officer acted in error to nominate Wakayima.
Last year in July, Highcourt judge Vincent Okwanga nullified Wakayima’s election and instead declared NRM’s Robert Ssebunya as Nansana Municipality MP.
Justice Okwanga cancelled Wakayima’s victory on grounds that he was nominated in error, as his name does not appear anywhere in the entire voters register of the constituency.
Justice Okwanga in his decision wondered why Wakayima applied for registration of National ID in the names of Musoke Hannington Nsereko but instead used different names during nomination.
“Mr Wakayima was nominated in error as his name is not registered in the constituency’s voter register, it was the name of Musoke Hannington Nsereko which validly appears on the National Identification card. I find that the purported change of names is null and void,” Justice Okwanga ruled last year.
“You cannot take people for a ride by changing names,” he added.
Wakayima did not agree with the decision and appealed to the Court of Appeal.
But three justices of the appellate court namely out going Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma, Cheborion Barishaki and Hellen Obura after analyzing the evidence on record have ruled that Wakayima be stripped of his victory.
