The Court of Appeal has nullified with costs the election of Rehema Watongola as Kamuli Municipality MP following petition by Forum for Democratic Change’s Salam 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: Richard Buteera, Barishaki Cheborion and Paul Mugamba, whose decision was read out by Assistant Registrar Rosemary Bareebe.
Salamu Musumba, who stood on the FDC ticket, lost in the February 18 elections after which she petitioned court challenging Ms Watongola’s election because did not possess the minimum requirement of Advanced Level or its equivalent.”
According to the Electoral Commission results, Ms Watongola beat Ms Musumba to the seat, polling 8,175 votes against Ms Musumba’s 6,702 votes.
But today Court ruled that, court there was substantial evidence indicating that Ms Watongola lacked the requisite academic qualifications to contest for MP seat.
In her appeal, Ms Musumba included the Electoral Commission, Busoga University and the National Council for Higher Education as the other respondents in the case.
In the petition, Ms Musumba claimed that the documents from Busoga University, which Ms Watongola used to get nominated, were obtained fraudulently.
For her nomination, Ms Watongola presented a Uganda Certificate of Education from Town Hall in Jinja, diploma and degree certificates in Public Administration and Management from the university.
However, Ms Musumba contested the validity of Watongola’s diploma and degree certificates obtained from Busoga University. Musumba’s petition referred to minutes of a December 2010, Busoga University senate meeting that resolved that a certificate used by Ms Watongola to gain admission to the institution was forged and subsequently recalled the qualifications it had awarded her.
