Kamuli Municipality MP Rehema Tiwuwe Watongola has this morning been kicked out of Parliament after Court of Appeal nullified her seat for not bearing required academic credentials.
Court has since declared the seat vacant and ordered for fresh elections.
Watongola’s (NRM) victory was challenged by motor mouthed FDC honcho Proscovia Salaamu Musumba.
In their judgment, the three justices of Court of Appeal: Richard Buteera, Barishaki Cheborion and Paul Mugamba, held that when Watongola’s academic papers were questioned, she never proved that her papers were authentic.
Subsequently, they threw her out of Parliament with costs that she has to pay her rival Musumba.
“We have already held that once the authenticity of the appellant’s qualifications came into question, the burden shifted to her to prove that her qualifications were authentic. This she never did.” Ruled the three justices whose decision was read out by Assistant Registrar Rosemary Bareebe.
Adding: “After reappraising the evidence of trial court record, we fully concur with the trial court’s findings. The learned trial judge rightly found that the petitioner (Ms Musumba) proved to the satisfaction of the court that the appellant (Ms Watongola) here-in did not possess the minimum requirement of Advanced Level or its equivalent.”
“The appeal is dismissed with costs to the respondent (Ms Musumba) and the orders of the trial court are upheld”.
Musumba, Ms Watongola and two others contested for Kamuli Municipality seat in last year’s parliamentary elections.
Watongola was returned as winner.
However, Musumba challenged her victory in the High Court.
The High Court concurred with Ms Musumba’s grounds and set aside her opponent’s victory.
Watongola then appealed to the Court of Appeal leading to today’s judgment that was again not in her favor.
