By Julius Odeke in Mbale.
A bid to have Ms. Connie Nakayenze Galiwango thrown out of parliament by her opponent Ms. Lydia Wanyoto Mutende hit a dead end on Thursday, September 30, 2021, as Mbale High Court upheld the election of Ms. Galiwango as Mbale City Woman Member of Parliament.
Ms. Wanyoto’s application was dismissed with costs. In a bid to represent Mbale City Woman parliamentary slot, Ms. Wanyoto, in 2020, during the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries won the election and therefore was declared by the party’s electoral commission in Kampala as the party’s flag bearer in August 2021’s party elections.
The NRM party primary elections countrywide were highly believed NRM political candidates as a clear win to parliament once the party gives you a nod to contest under the party’s ticket. Mbale Woman City elections was characterized by beatings and teargas by the security.
In this primary contest, Ms. Galiwango was dosed in her eyes with pepper gas by the police.
But her opponent Connie Nakayenze Galiwango sought the public support that propelled her to win the general elections. But still, Ms. Wanyoto refused to concede defeat after the January 2021 general election instead went ahead and file a petition in Mbale High Court claiming that her victory was snatched by Ms. Galiwango.
Ms. Wantoto’s lawyer Mr. Eddie Nagulo said they have lodged Hon Lydia Wanyoto’s petition against the recently concluded Woman MP elections for Mbale City.
Counsel Nagulo added that “We have submitted 123 affidavits of voters, and those of electoral officials, who were allegedly victims of voter bribery, violence, and intimidation.” This substantiated information from the petitioner Ms. Wanyoto said that “The electoral process was hijacked and it was full of vote bribery, ballot stuffing, beating up supporters and agents of my agents.”
According to Ms. Wanyoto’s petition, she said, “The electoral process was marred by widespread fraud allegedly orchestrated by Ms. Galiwango and the Independent Electoral Commission.”
Electoral Commission’s results show that Ms. Galiwango who stood as an Independent candidate after losing in the NRM primaries bagged 40,729 votes that gave her 53.28 percent while her arch-rival, Ms. Wanyoto managed to collect a paltry 25,276 votes giving her 33.06 percent in the January 14 general election.
Justice Andrew Byabashaija in his ruling said, “The second respondent (Galiwango) resoundingly won the election with 40,729 votes against the 25,276 votes. The success of such a winning candidate at the election cannot be interfered with or taken away without any justification. It should be upheld, having found that the petitioner is not entitled to any remedies. The petition is, therefore, dismissed in its entirety with costs to the first and second respondent.”
Ms. Wanyoto while address the members of the press seemed unsatisfied with Justice Byabashaija’s ruling said that, “I am not satisfied with the court’s decision and for that, I am going to petition a court of appeal.”
During campaigns, Ms. Wanyoto had branded her campaign as ‘Big Sister’ for the electorates in Mbale City while Ms. Galiwango told the voters, “I am Mama Mbale.” All of them combed all the two divisions in the newly created city in search of the votes. Ms. Galiwango, according to David Mafabi – a local journalist in Mbale, resonates well with the common person, unlike Ms. Wanyoto who is almost seen as a Kampala politician” ■
