Voter petitions EC over Minister Tom Butime’s academic documents

A man has petitioned the Electoral Commission complaining against the academic documents for Col.Dr.Tom Butime, the Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.

Simon Muhumuza  Kateeba, a resident of Nyakatooke ward, Rugombe Town Council in Kyenjojo district says Butime was illegally nominated to run as a candidate for Mwenge Central constituency in Kyenjojo in the forthcoming general election.

“Contrary to section 4(1) (c ) of the Parliamentary Elections Act 2005, the respondent was nominated without possessing the requisite minimum formal education of Advanced Level standard or its equivalent,”Kateeba says.

The voter argues that Butime submitted his nomination form as Butime Tom Ateenyi whereas the UCE document bears the name Tom Butime but the UACE certificate is under the name,  Tom R.Butime .

“The name of  Tom R. Butime does not in any way or at all relate or refer to the respondent Butime Tom Ateenyi. And he didn’t prove that he possesses the requisite qualification on his nomination.”

“The above inconsistencies and unexplained discrepancies in the documents presented by the respondent clearly show that he didn’t  prove he possesses the requisite qualification as required by section 4(1) (c ) of the Parliamentary Elections Act  to be eligible for nomination.”

The petitioner also avers that whereas the law requires that a candidate produces original copies of the academic documents, Butime didn’t heed to the same and thus he should not have been nominated by the Electoral Commission.

He argues, “The names Butime Tom Ateenyi under which he was nominated do not appear on any his purported academic documents  and therefore can’t be recognized by his new name without a deed poll as required under section 36 of the Registration of Persons Act, 2015."

Request

 The voter through his lawyers of KRK Advocates now wants the Electoral Commission to disqualify minister Tom Butime from standing as the Mwenge Central constituency MP aspirant over lack of academic documents but also ordered to pay costs.

“The complainant prays that the respondent Tom Butime Ateenyi is not qualified to stand for election as a Member of Parliament and was therefore illegally nominated for election for Mwenge Central Constituency in Kyenjojo district.”