The Electoral Commission (EC) disqualified 11 candidates for Makindye Division Mayor, leaving NRM’s candidate, Yasin Omari, unopposed. The decision left the disqualified candidates, including National Unity Platform (NUP)’s John Bosco Lusagala who was projected to win the mayoral race fuming.
EC details show that Lusagala’s disqualification, like that of the 10 others, was largely hampered by seconders who did not append signatures to the papers seconding him.
The EC has provided names of voters who did append signatures to the papers seconding Lusagala, including Shairif Musa, Nabumba Mwajjuma, Ainemugisha Racheal, Ssenyondo Abdul, Frouq Fawusi, Nakajubi Shifrah, Hashim Rashid, Nabudari Grace, and Nathan Bashaija.
The EC Chairperson, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, further explained that Lusagala’s candidature was also affected by more than 10 voters who lodged complaints stating that they did not second him to vie for Makindye Division Mayor.
Byabakama named the voters who denied seconding Lusagala as Barbiry Jennifer, Muhumuza Deus, Prosy Nabiryo, Aceng Ruth, Sylvia Nabiryo, Barwogeza Mugabi, Innoce Kawombe, Christine Ndiwera, Ismail Mugabi, Kasagga Gonza, Eric Nsubuga, Emmanuel Lwanyaka, and Grace Katushabe.
Lusagala was also found not to have raised the required 20 signatures from 20 registered voters from the parishes of Namuwongo, Muyenga, Kabalagala, and Buziga. This was contrary to Section 123, Subsection 9 of the Local Governments Act.
However, Lusagala and his lawyer, Kenneth Paul Kakande, have disagreed with the EC’s decision and vowed to seek legal redress in the High Court. On Wednesday, Lusagala and his supporters stormed the EC offices in the Industrial Area, but they were dispersed by police backed by the military.
For Ismail Tabalamule Kamaali, the EC says his major problem was voters who did not append signatures on their secondment papers. For example, the EC discovered that Tabalamule submitted 35 signatures for Namuwongo Parish, of which 28 did not append signatures. In Kansanga, Tabalamule submitted 43 signatures, but 29 did not append signatures.
For Juuko Nakibinge, the EC found that his problem was submitting seconders whose electoral areas are in the districts of Kayunga, Jinja, Kamwenge, Buikwe, Kyenjojo, Butembo, Namisindwa, and Ntungamo. The EC Chairperson further explained that Juuko also submitted fewer signatures in many parishes. For instance, in Lukuli A and Lukuli B, Juuko submitted a combined total of 36 voters’ secondment signatures instead of the required 20 for each parish.
Like Lusagala, Juuko has also dismissed EC explanations saying that the voters assured him that they residents and eligible voters of Makindye Division. However, he did not announce taking legal action. Ssebagala Haruna submitted 38 supporters for Lukuli A and B, of whom 12 did not append signatures. For Salama A and B, he submitted 30 names instead of the required 40. For Nsambya Central A and Central B, two supporters did not append signatures.
For Sumayiyah Nabadda, the EC found that she submitted signatures of voters who had seconded a candidate who was nominated a day earlier. Nakazzi Rehema, Nabaweesi Shakirah, and Namata Maxencia are some of the voters she presented as seconders, yet they had already seconded NRM’s Yasin Omari.
The EC said other candidates did not turn up to receive explanations for why they were disqualified. However, the majority of the other candidates failed to submit the required 20 signatures from each of the electoral parishes of Makindye Division.
Yasin Omari, who has remained unopposed has called upon all those who have been disqualified to join him and they serve people of Makindye Division. He added that he is now free to start serving his people starting with garbbage collection.