The Uganda police has come out to correct the erroneous reports attributed to the electoral commission (EC) and reported in the media, regarding police investigation into complaints of electoral fraud in the recent by election of Kasese woman MP representatives.

The police spokesperson Simon Kutesa says that EC contends that the arrest of the Kasese district returning officer on Saturday 11^th August this year, interupted the timely transmission of election results by the returning officer. He says that the EC further claims that the police took away all documents required to gazete Kasese district woman MP election results.

Kutesa says that the information EC gave out was not correct. He says that the criminal investigation directorate of the Uganda police force received several complaints ranging from outright electoral fraud to specific incidences of electoral malpractice during that by election in Kasese. Kutesa says that on Thursday the 9^th of August this year, the day after that by elections, police detectives contacted the district returning officer seeking clarification on matters raised in the received complaints. The returning officer informed the police that he was on his way to Kampala to file the statutory returns of the by election, and that he would return the following day.

Kutesa says that on Friday, detectives called the officer again and he assured them that he was still in Kampala at the EC head offices and he would travel back to Kasese later in the day. On Saturday the detectives called the officer several times and he claimed to be stuck in Kampala at the EC. The police leadership then requested the EC leadership to access its officer and they denied knowledge of his being in Kampala. The police then mounted a serach for the returning officer in Kasese and found him in his rural home in Kagango Sub County in Shema district. So Kutesa says that the claim by the EC that the police action interfered with timely transmission of the election results were false.

The post Police clashes with electoral commission officials first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

There was drama at the headquarters of the electoral commission today when the embattled Lubaga North MP, Singh Katongole stormed the office of the chairperson of the commission and pleaded with him not to gazette his polirical rival, Moses Kasibante, as the dully elected Rubaga North MP.

Singh who reportedly went secretly to the commission asked Eng. Badru Kiggundu to delay the process such that it gives him a change to challenge the court ruling which threw him out of parliament last week.

Singh’s pleas have come at a time when the court of appeal had already instructed the Electoral Commission to gazette Moses Kasibante. However the commission’s secretary Sam Rwakoojo says that there is no way the commission could not gazette Kasibante since there is a court directive on the effect.

Three Court of Appeal justices led by Constance Byamugisha threw away Singh’s appeal that he had sought to overturn a High Court judgment that first threw him out of Parliament over electoral malpractices and ordered for the reinstatement of his rival, Kasibante, in his place.

The amended Parliamentary elections act 2010, Section (66) clause 3 provides that the Court of Appeal is the final court pertaining Parliamentary election petitions. Singh Katongole’s case was trashed by the court of appeal.

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The electoral commission decided to meet Betty Kamya today five days back. The electoral commission chief,Eng.Badru Kiggundu wanted Kamya to tell the commission the best approach towards the party’s interest to organise the referendum in 2015.

The meeting between the electoral commission officials and Betty Kamya took place today at 10:00am at the head offices of the electoral commission.

The 1995 constitution ofUgandaunder Article 74(3) allows the commission to organise a referendum on any given issue of national concern. Betty Kamya says that her party is currently mobilizing Ugandan voters to sign on documents requesting the commission to organise the referendum.

By Christine Kate

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Now the party leaders have resorted to calling upon their supporters to contribute money towards this “cause”.  DP has fronted Brenda Nabukenya, currently the UYD leader in charge of social affairs to represent the party in the Luweero Woman MP race. The leaders are using SMS messages to call people to contribute money.

The Electoral Commission has started updating the National Voters’ Register for Luweero district in preparation for a by-election for the woman legislator. The commission has also set November 21 as the polling day for the district woman member of parliament.

The seat fell vacant after Ms Nabatanzi Lugudde (Independent) successfully challenged in Court the election victory of Ms Rebecca Lukwago (NRM) over voter bribery.

The updating exercises ended on October 20th. The consultative meeting with the commission officials and stakeholders in Luwero district was held on October 18.

The three Candidates were nominated on October 25 to 26th followed by five days for inspection of candidates’ nomination papers and lodging of complaints. The campaign period has started and the candidates need money to pull off a successful campaign.

By Maureen Nakyanzi

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