Lawyer Muwada Nkunyingi vows to sue EC over Museveni's academic documents
City lawyer Nkunyingi Muwada has threatened to sue the Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama over the delay to issue him with the academic documents of President Yoweri Museveni, as required by the Access to Information Act.
In an August 21, 2020 letter to the EC, Muwada asked the election body to avail him with academic documents that candidate Museveni used to contest in the 2016 presidential candidates as required by the Presidential Elections Act 2005.
While addressing the press today, Muwada said that almost two weeks later, he was yet to get an official response from the EC.
Muwada said another lawyer, Male Mabirizi, asked for academic papers of candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu and the EC responded affirmatively in a record four days.
"The request was received on August 11 and was replied on August 14, 2020. That is four days. Mine was received on August 24, 2020 and it is now more than a week yet the EC has stayed mute save for what I have been seeing on social media. This is discrimination," Muwada said.
He added," I want to put the EC on notice that they have no right to treat Ugandans differently."
Muwada said that while giving out candidate Kyagulanyi’s academic papers, the EC quoted the Access to Information Act and it is the same law he quoted while asking for candidate Museveni's documents.
"The difference is only in submission. Candidate Museveni submitted his papers in 2016, candidate Kyagulanyi submitted his in 2017. Then why should they delay my request?" Muwada asked.
Muwada said that by asking for the academic documents of President Museveni, he was not asking for a favour "but an exercise of rights under the Access to Information Act."
"I will exhaust all legal means to force the Electoral Commission to give me the papers. I advocate for equal opportunities by all statutory bodies," he added.
Our efforts to get a comment from the Electoral Commission about Muwada's claims were futile.
