By Spy Uganda
Kampala: According to a press statement released by the Judiciary last evening, the Court of Appeal said it will deliver its ruling within the next two weeks starting today (July 20) on the long awaited election application in which a voter is challenging the academic qualifications of Rubaga South MP Kato Lubwama.
Habib Buwembo, a voter in Lubaga South challenged Lubwama’s 2016 election for lack of proper academic documents, arguing that the legislator 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.
He argues that Lubwama was 22 years at that time, which was three years below the mandatory minimum age for mature entry.
This election application arose on February 7, 2017, when a single judge of the Court of Appeal, Cheborion Barishaki, issued an interim order indefinitely staying the hearing of Mr Buwembo’s election petition against MP Lubwama that had been lodged before the High Court.
Mr Buwembo, has since warned that the current term of the 10th Parliament is soon expiring and yet the Court of Appeal has not yet disposed of his matter against MP Lubwama to pave way for the High Court to determine his substantive election petition.
Today, when the matter came for hearing before a panel of three justices including Geoffrey Kiryabwire, Elizabeth Musoke and Irene Mulyagonja, the court asked all the parties to file written submissions and wait for the court’s ruling.
The court asked Buwembo’s lawyers led by Isaac Ssemakadde to file their submissions by July 29 whereas Kato Lubwama’s side was asked to file their response by July 31.
On Monday, the same court accepted the withdrawal of the election appeal by NRM’s Nusura Tiperu against Arua Municipality Member of Parliament, Kassiano Wadri.
