Kyagulanyi petition amendment prayer dismissed

By Angela Nyakuni

Supreme Court has dismissed an application by National Unity Platform (NUP)’s Presidential Candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine to amend his election petition challenging PresidentYoweri Tubuhaburwa Museveni’s victory.

Earlier in the day, Chief Justice Owiny Dollo had asked Ebert Byenkya, the lawyer of the first respondent ( Yoweri Museveni) about the inconvinience of the house arrest on Kyagulanyi petition.  Byenkya argued that Kyagulanyi was a candidate of for a party and therefore is not alone, and other party officials could have prepared it.

Court also finds that the issue of the qualification of the first respondent is a matter which came outside the time allocated for filing of the petition, Justice Stella Amoko Arach who read the ruling on behalf of the justices said.

Kyagulanyi had sought court’s permission to be allowed to add new evidence to the petition arguing that he was under house arrest that for a number of days, there were several electoral offences committed and that President Museveni was not qualified to stand for presidency.

In their application, Kyagulanyi’s lawyers sought court to allow them add evidence to the fact that President Museveni’s appointment of a new deputy Inspector General of Police, Emyooga presidential initiative on job and wealth creation among others were used by the president for his benefit and re-election.

The panel of nine justices of the Supreme Court led by the Chief Justice, Alfonse Owiny Odollo threw the petition out for holding no water.  The justices sauid they would give the detailed  ruling including reasons for the same while delivering the judgement in the petition filed by Kyagulanyi’s lawyers.

The court will now on Thursday hold a pre-hearing session in order to iron out some matters and also agree on issues to be determined during the main petition before the hearing begins.