By Ruth Anderah
Lwengo district woman MP Cissy Namujju has retained her parliamentary seat after the Court of Appeal set aside the lower court’s decision that had nullified her election.
Three justices led by Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma, Catherine Bamugemereire and Cheborion Barishaki have ruled that Namujju was elected as the Lwengo district woman MP and that she holds the requisite academic qualifications.
This is after they faulted Masaka High Court Judge Margret Tibulya for disregarding the provision of the law that requires a voter to accompany his petition with 500 names and signatures of fellow voters from the constituency to challenge an MP’s election.
The Court of Appeal says it evaluated evidence from Masaka High Court and found out that Namujju’s accuser Martin Kizito Ssemwanga filed his petition with only 460 signatures.
The Justices also held that the PLE, UCE and UACE certificates brought before court belong to Namujju since they bear the same photograph that also appears on her National Identification card.
Last year, the High Court in Masaka cancelled Namujju’s election on grounds that she lacks the requisite academic qualifications, ordered the Electoral Commission to hold fresh elections and that she pays costs to Ssemwanga’s lawyers.
The Court of Appeal has however overturned this position, and confirmed her as Lwengo district woman MP and ordered Ssemwanga to pay her costs both at the lower and Court of Appeal.
