Concerned Citizen Storms Court Of Appeal Over Delayed Justice In Election Petition Against MP Kato Lubwama

By Spy Uganda

Kampala: Habib Buwembo a concerned citizen who dragged Hon. Kato Lubwama (Lubaga South) to court has stormed the Court of Appeal with a few of his supporters protesting the delayed justice in an election petition against the Legislator.

In 2017 High Court Civil Division Judge Margaret Oumo Oguli allowed Habib Buwembo the Secretary for Labour in Forum for Democratic Change Party to file an election petition against Lubwama where he alleged that the Law maker lack mandatory academic qualifications to be in Parliament.

According to Buwembo, Lubwama connived with Makerere University and was admitted in 1992 for a diploma in Music and Drama yet he hadn’t obtained the minimum mature age which is 25. 

Kato Lubwama was reportedly 22 at that time. In the same suit, the Electoral Commission was sued for having nominated him in the race yet he lacked documents.

Lubwama went to court of Appeal saying that the application against him in the High Court was filed in bad faith and was outside the stipulated period. He thus asked the Court of Appeal to block the proceedings against him in the lower court.

However, on August 2nd, 2019, the hearing of the Court of Appeal case was suspended indefinitely by the panel led by the Deputy Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny Dollo to allow him to investigate the circumstances that resulted into a judgement in the same matter which was rejected by both parties.

In May, the lawyers representing Buwembo led by Isaac Ssemakadde and Lubwama’s lawyers from Alaka and Company Advocates refused to receive the judgement arguing that the case hadn’t been heard fully.

Ssemakadde argued that they had last appeared in court in 2018 and told that a new Judge was to be appointed to replace former Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma and had since then never appeared before court to be informed on the replacement.

Buwembo accuses the Judiciary for having delayed to deliver justice in the matter.