Court Tosses Ex-Minister Ssempijja's Election Petition Against NUP's Nkeretanyi

The political aspirations of former Defence Minister Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja have been dealt a significant blow as the Masaka High Court dismissed his application to extend the time for filing an election petition.

Ssempijja, who ran on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, sought to challenge the election results in Kalungu East, where the National Unity Platform’s (NUP) Yusufu Kiruluuta Nkeretanyi emerged victorious.

Justice Joyce Kavuma, through deputy registrar Roy Karungi, ruled that Ssempijja failed to provide adequate reasons for the delay in filing his petition. The court emphasized that election petitions must adhere to the statutory 30-day period following the gazetting of election results.

The court also expressed concern that granting such extensions could lead to the misuse of election petition timelines, underscoring the importance of timely legal challenges.

Previously, Ssempijja had pursued a vote recount at the Masaka Chief Magistrate’s court, citing alleged irregularities. However, this process encountered difficulties, including the discovery of tampered ballot boxes, leading the magistrate to advise Ssempijja to proceed with an election petition in the High Court.

Despite filing his petition on April 2, one day after the statutory deadline, Ssempijja argued for an extension, claiming he needed more time to gather evidence of electoral malpractices. Nkeretanyi has consistently denied these allegations, asserting the integrity of his win.

The Electoral Commission declared Nkeretanyi the winner with 15,473 votes against Ssempijja’s 13,219. The dismissal of Ssempijja’s petition now secures Nkeretanyi’s position as the Member of Parliament for Kalungu East, allowing him to focus on serving his constituents.

Source: The Observer (Uganda)