The Court of Appeal in Kampala has dismissed a petition filed by NRM’s Fridah Mubanda seeking nullification of the results in which Democratic Party’s Babirye Kabanda was declared winner of the Masaka Woman MP seat in February last year.
Babirye, a former Mengo government official, beat the NRM candidate with a difference of 19,000 votes in the 2016 parliamentary elections, but the latter was not satisfied and she sought redress in the Masaka High Court.
The High Court in Masaka ruled in favor of Kabanda, prompting Mubanda to appeal the ruling, citing errors made by the lower court.
In a judgment read by the registrar Deo Nzeyimana on Wednesday morning, the Court of Appeal judges deduced that there was no evidence of voter bribery as alleged by Mubanda in her appeal.
“We did not find any evidence of an electoral offence committed by the respondent and the lower court never erred on this ground,” said Nzeyimana who was reading the judgment.
On the issue of allowing little time for her witnesses, the Court of Appeal in Kampala said in its judgment that there was no evidence to prove that Mubanda had asked for an adjournment so she could avail all the required witnesses.
“She should have applied for an adjournment with valid reasons but she didn’t do so.”
The judges also said that all evidence tabled was carefully scrutinized and found with no error made by the Masaka High Court.
“We do not find any merits in the appeal and dismiss it with costs to this court and the lower one,” said Nzeyimana in the judgment.
There were scenes of celebration at the Court of Appeal as Babirye’s Democratic Party supporters carried her as they chanted their party slogans.
“It is now time for work. Let us put politics aside and come together for the benefit of our people,” Babirye Kabanda said shortly after the court ruling.
Part of the story adapted from Chimpreports