FDC fronts Baguma for Busongora South MP by-election
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has endorsed Alosious Baguma as its Parliamentary candidate for the Busongora South by-election.
“We are pleased to announce Kighema Alosious Baguma, as our Parliamentary candidate for the Busongora South constituency by-election,” FDC announced on Monday.
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Commenting on Baguma’s endorsement, the opposition party rated him as an excellent and highly commendable candidate.
FDC added that whereas it may not inject many resources into Baguma’s campaigns, they have hopes that the Kasese people will vote for their candidate to victory.
The Busongora South parliamentary seat was last week, nullified by the Court of Appeal following a successful application by an independent candidate in the 2021 parliamentary elections, Mbaju Kathika.
Last year, in what was a tight race, National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Gideon Thembo Mujungu was declared the winner of the Busongora South MP seat after garnering 7,601 votes against Mbaju’s 7,522.
However, Mbaju had run to Fort Portal High court to challenge Mujungu’s victory. He had cited ballot pre-ticking, balloting stuffing, and multiple voting in the NRM candidate’s victory.
Mbaju’s application was, however, thrown out by the court led by Justice Victorious Katamba, on grounds that he lacked adequate evidence in his petition.
Unsatisfied with the court ruling, Mbaju later ran to the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn Katamba’s verdict.
Consequently, the Court of Appeal led by Frederick Egonda Ntende, on Wednesday, ruled in favour of Mbaju on grounds that there was adequate evidence of malpractices in Mujungu’s victory.
“There is sufficient evidence of ballot pre-ticking, balloting stuffing, and multiple voting, which is strengthened by the fact that the 100% voter turn recorded at one polling station could not have been possible given the fact that there were people who had died and some who did not vote but were still on the voters' register,” the court panel ruled.
The court declared the election null and ordered the Electoral Commission to organise fresh elections.
