Former Kawempe North Constituency parliamentary contestant, Sulaiman Sserwadda Kindandala is accusing some government officials of putting him on intense pressure to withdraw a petition against Muhammad Ssegirinya.
While addressing reporters at the High Court in Kampala after appearing before Judge Henrietta Wolayo, Kidandala said he has been contacted by people from government and other forces that he didn’t name, asking him to withdraw the petition that seeks to nullify Ssegirinya’s victory on the premise of none compliance with Electoral laws and having no requisite academic qualifications.
The Electoral Commission which is the second respondent in the case filed an application before the High Court on August 5, seeking to strike down Kidandala’s petition on the premise that he never served Ssegirinya.
The deputy officer in charge of Kitalya Prisons Magiya Felix where Ssegirinya was incarcerated at the time, swore an affidavit denying that Kidandala’s agents ever served Ssegirinya through him.
However, Kidandala says that his prayer is that the petition is heard on its merits without hiding behind technicalities. His lead lawyer, Kenneth Paul Kakande, maintained that they served the petition to Ssegirinya and therefore it should be allowed to proceed and determined on whether he was validly elected or whether he has qualifications to be an MP.
He wondered why the Electoral Commission is trying to hold out as Ssegirnya’s lawyer by clinging on the issue of service yet they were also served.
Meanwhile, Edwin Tabaro from KTA Advocates who was holding a brief for the Electoral Commission chief legal officer Eric Sabiti denied that they are trying to be Ssegirinya’s advocates, arguing that they are doing their job as the Electoral Commission to handle disputes arising from elections that they are mandated to organize.
Tabaro added that as the second respondents, they can only respond to a petition where the successful candidate is equally a party, and that their concern is not the service or the drama between the Electoral Commission but the procedure of filing electoral petitions must be followed.
Judge Wolayo has set September 2, as the day to hear and determine the application before the main case can start.
