Bagoole reinstated as Luuka North MP

Mr John Bagoole (L), consults with his lawyer, Mr Medard Lubega Sseggona, at the High Court in Jinja on Monday. PHOTO BY ANDREW GULUMAIRE 

By ABUBAKER KIRUNDA & ANDREW GULUMAIRE
Posted 


Thursday, April 28 

2016 at 

01:00

In Summary

His case. In a petition filed in the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Iganga, Mr Inhensico sought a vote recount on grounds of irregularities in vote counting and tallying.

JINJA. The High Court in Jinja has reinstated outgoing Luuka County MP, Mr John Bagoole Baluloba Ngobi, as the MP-elect for Luuka North Constituency.
Luuka District returning officer Dennis Obongo, had on February 19 declared Mr Bagoole, who contested as an Independent candidate, as the winner of the February 18 parliamentary election for the constituency, but the NRM candidate, Mr Luke Kyobe Inhensico, challenged the result.

In a petition filed in the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Iganga, Mr Inhensico sought a vote recount on grounds that there had been various irregularities in vote counting and tallying, a prayer granted by Iganga Chief Magistrate, Mr Godfrey Kaweesi. Despite the discovery that 25 out of 83 ballot boxes had been tampered with while four ballot boxes did not contain any electoral material, court proceeded with the recount which resulted in the declaration of Mr Inhensico as the MP-elect, a ruling which compelled Mr Bagoole to petition the High Court in Jinja.

The court presided over by Justice Patricia Wasswa Basaza on Monday set aside the ruling by the Iganga Chief Magistrate and the results arrived at following the recount and reinstated Mr Bagoole as the MP-elect.
“The Chief Magistrate did not satisfy himself with the specifics of irregularity and errors to order a vote recount. That was illegal and means that the results of that vote recount are irregular,” Ms Basaza said in her ruling.
Justice Basaza, however, ruled that each party would bear its own costs.
Mr Bagoole, who was in court, welcomed the ruling, saying: “I forgive my tormentors, but I am also asking the judiciary to empower and instil independence into the lower Magistrates’ Courts.”

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