The former Bbaale County member of parliament in Kayunga District George Wilson Nsamba Kumama shocked Mukono High court on Monday evening when he failed to cite a single law managing parliamentary elections in the country.
The former legislator was appearing before Justice Collins Accellam in Mukono High Court as one of the witnesses supporting the petition challenging the victory of Idah Nantaba as the Kayunga District Woman Member of Parliament.
He is one of the witnesses who swore an affidavit supporting the petition by Rittah Nabadda, a concerned citizen in Kayunga pinning Nantaba on voter bribery. Nantaba, who ran as an independent garnered 47, 725 votes to defeat six other candidates. Her closest challenger Harriet Nakweede managed 37, 117 votes.
However, during cross-examination, Nantaba's Lawyers led by Ambrose Tebyasa asked Kumama whether he is aware of any electoral law, especially forbidding an incumbent candidate from attending public functions related to government projects during the campaigning period. Kumama frankly told the court that although he knows what the electoral law says, he can't mention the specific law.
Much as Kumama told the court that he did not physically see Nantaba distributing items at Kambatani Village, Galiraya Sub County, he was told by voters that the legislator participated in the distribution of donations to flood victims despite the fact that she was not a member of the district disaster management committee.
Tebyasa then asked Kumama to also confirm before the court that he did research to establish whether the items were from the Office of the Prime Minister. Kumama responded in the affirmative.
Tebyasa noted that any legislator who appears before the court must speak with authority and facts as required by the very laws they legislate before parliament other than speculating.
He added that it is surprising for a former member of parliament to be ignorant about the Parliamentary Elections Act, under which he was also elected.
Kumama was the third witness to be cross-examined after Rittah Nabadda, the petitioner, and Abudallah Kasozi who claims to have taken pictures of Nantaba distributing items to the voters.
During the cross-examination, Kasozi confirmed that he indeed took pictures but when he was asked to open the smartphone to show the original copies the screen froze.
Tebyasa told the court that he had no intentions of cross-examining more witnesses. However, the petitioner’s lawyers led by Gregory Mugisha and Kevin Amjong from Okarang Law Chambers insisted that three more witnesses appear before the court for reexamination. Justice Accellam adjourned the matter to later today.