BY JOACKIM KULE MUHESI
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal chaired by John Musiime has dismissed a petition filed by Mary Marylyn Kabugho challenging the election of Sarah Ithungu Masereka who was declared winner of the primary elections for the position of Kasese District Woman Member of Parliament.
On July 17, NRM members went to the polls to select the flag bearers for the constituency Member of Parliament and District Woman Member of Parliament.
In the morning of July 18, the Kasese District NRM Registrar, Amon Mbusa declared Ithungu as the duly elected flag bearer at a tally centre that had been temporarily established at the Rwenzori International Hotel in Kasese town.
However, a few days later, Kabugho through her Lawyers of Kanyonyi and Co. Advocates petitioned the NRM Electoral Commission challenging the election of Ithungu as the flag bearer, citing irregularities and manipulation of election results among others.
In a ruling dated August 25 at Kampala, the tribunal dismissed the petition, noting that the first respondent emerged the winner with 65,883 votes against the petitioner’s 64,235 votes, leaving a margin of 1,648 votes.
According to the tribunal, it was found that even though the petitioner proved that there were irregularities, the same did not substantially affect the outcome of the election.
The tribunal also indicated that having failed to prove that the irregularities identified above substantially affected the outcome of the election, it found no basis for setting aside the election or ordering a fresh poll.
It was then ordered that the petitioner’s petition is dismissed, the election of Sarah Ithungu Masereka as NRM flag bearer for Kasese Woman Member of Parliament is upheld.
The same tribunal also upheld the election of Eliphaz Muhindi Bukombi as the dully elected flag bearer for the position of Kasese District Chairperson and dismissing a petition that had been filed by Johnson Mayora against challenging his victory.
ENDS