By Ismail Musa Ladu & Tausi Nakato
The National Resistance Movement candidate, Mr. Moses Walyomu, has bounced back as Kagoma County Member of Parliament.
He was declared the winner of the by-election late last night by the Jinja District Returning Officer, Mr. Rogers Edward Serunjogi after he got 24,257 votes, closely followed by independent Alex Brandon Kintu with 18,490.
The opposition FDC candidate Mr. Timothy Batuwa Lusala had 8,149 votes, while Muhammed Bidondole- another independent trailed with 1,248.
The Kagoma parliamentary seat fell vacant after the Court of Appeal earlier in the year nullified the result of the 2016 parliamentary election following an appeal by Alex Brandon Kintu who again emerged second.
Just like in 2016 parliamentary race, Mr.Kintu stood as an independent and again lost to Walyomu.
He then filed an election petition in court detailing election fraud manifested in the form of voter bribery, something he said unjustly swung the result in favour of his rival.
The Court of Appeal agreed with his argument and in early March, a verdict nullifying the election was declared, resulting into the by-election.
Mr.Kintu has said he will go back to court again, saying the by-election has not been free and fair.
He has again cited glaring intimidation, bribery and non-compliance of the electoral laws during the exercise.
However, the Electoral Commission chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi has reaffirmed the notion that mistakes that the commission could have made were due to the fact that to error is human.
