The ninth prosecution witness in the Kawempe North By-election petition has stunned the High Court demanding payment he claimed is due to him as part of a bribe to stay away from testifying.
Nathan Kyemba Muwanguzi, 30, shocked the court by alleging he was bribed to withhold his testimony.
Kyemba, visibly emotional, told the judge that the National Unity Platform (NUP) official Sylvia Nakyobe gave him Shs10,000, which he spent, and that he remains willing to accept bribes due to his struggles as a youth.
"Bangulirira, Nakyobe Sylvia owa NUP yampa 10,000 era nenzirya," Kyemba said.
He further claimed that lawyers representing Elias Nalukoola promised him Shs1 million to avoid testifying for the plaintiff, but only paid Shs200,000.
Then in a stunning moment, he said he was still demanding the balance.
Though unable to identify who bribed him directly, he mentioned a brown-skinned defence lawyer, Mohammad Mbabazi, as part of the bribing group.
Under cross-examination, however, Kyemba struggled to recall key details, including when he met plaintiff’s lawyer Ahmed Kalule, the documents he signed, and the date he took the oath.
Meanwhile, Kawempe North MP Elias Nalukoola, the first respondent, has begun testifying in his own by-election petition.
Nalukoola brought a calculator, mathematical set and NUP Beret with him as he testifies.