The Nakaseke District Woman Member of Parliament Sarah Najjuma has hired a senior lawyer Asuman Basalirwa to defend her election victory
Najjuma won the elections after garnering 56,151 votes, defeating NUP’s Esther Nakawooya who got 27,156 votes.
But Najjuma is facing a legal battle at Luwero High Court to retain the seat .
Through her lawyers of M/S Alaka and company advocates, Nakawooya dragged Najjuma and Electoral Commission to court challenging the elections citing irregularities.
Nakawooya said that the Electoral Commission failed to organise the elections in compliance with the laws and demanded that it be nullified .
Nakawooya told the Court that the election was marred by ballot stuffing, multiple voting, questionable 100 per cent voter turnout at some polling stations, and alteration of results in favour of the NRM candidate.
Now MP Najjuma has hired M/S Asuman Basaalirwa and company advocates to defend her victory. Basalirwa is also an outgoing MP for Bugiri Municipality on JEEMA ticket .
Basalirwa has already filed a defense in the petition at Luwero High Court on behalf of MP Najjuma
”For the purposes of this petition ,the address of the respondent shall be M/S Asuman Basalirwa and company advocates at Ham Shopping mall 3rd floor room 33 Makerere Hill Road ” a response to the petitioner reads
In the petition , Najjuma denied the allegations of pre ticked ballots and said the petitioner didn’t present any evidence to support it.
” The petitioner failed to indicate a candidate in whose favour the voters were pre ticked , who benefited from multiple voting and inflated votes as alleged in the petition ” Najjuma said
She added that the petitioner also failed to prove any prejudice or disadvantage arising from high turnout .
” The petitioner has not proved how high turnout impacted on final results in her disfavour because if that happened , it benefited all candidates equally and cannot be relied on by the petitioner as a ground to impeach the election” Najjuma in her defense.
On allegations of dead people voting on the election day , Najjuma said the petitioner lacked evidence that indeed they were registered voters and were dead on that day .
” Suffice to state that the petition indicates only 39 alleged dead people, a negligible number that would not affect the high turnout even if they were around and participated in the voting ” Najjuma said
Najjuma asked the court to dismiss the case insisting that it’s incompetent and based on hearsay which is not admissable in the law .
Najjuma filed the defense on 23rd March this year at Luwero High Court .
Alaka and Basalirwa are both senior lawyers now gearing up for a major legal battle to defend clients on different political sides at Luwero High Court.
Recently counsel Basalirwa successfully represented Mercy Kanyesigye, the winner of the National Female Youth MP election in election petition filed by her rival Diana Kampe Ampaire, the NRM flag bearer who lost the seat.
Currently Basalirwa is representing outgoing Butambala MP Muhammad Kivumbi who is facing terrorism charges .
