High Court in Masindi has for the second time today (Friday) adjourned hearing of the election petition filed by Ms Asinansi Nyakato against the Hoima district woman Member of Parliament, Ms Harriet Busiinge together with the Electoral Commission over purported election malpractice.
Represented by Mr Muhammad Mbabazi of M/S Nyanzi Kiboneka & Mbabazi Advocates on October 30, 2019, Ms Nyakato petitioned the High Court challenging the EC’s declaration of Ms Busiinge as winner of the Hoima district woman legislative seat for last year’s by-election.
Ms Busiinge who stood on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket was declared winner in the hotly contested by-elections polling 33,301 votes while her sole opponent Forum for Democracy Change (FDC), Ms Nyakato garnered 28,789 votes.
However, Ms Nyakato petitioned court demanding for the nullification of Ms Busiinge’s declaration citing vote rigging.
During the first hearing on July 16, 2020, Justice Paul Gadenya Wolimbwa, tasked counsel for the EC to bring to court the memory cards for biometric machines used for voting, registers and tally sheets.
However, the EC’s counsel did not come up with the submissions today as court had ordered, prompting the judge to adjourn the case for the second time to August 6, this year.
Ms Busiinge’s counsel, Mr Moses Kabega of M/S Kabega, Bogezi & Bukenya Advocates was also present in court.
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, Ms Nyakato said that though she is not certain of the grounds why the case was adjourned, she is still giving them a benefit of no doubt expecting a free and fair hearing.
The Hoima district woman parliamentary seat fell vacant after Ms Tophace Kaahwa Byagira decided to represent the new Kikuube district that was carved out of Hoima.
