Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi has set dates for ruling on three election petitions.
The petitions are David Ochwa filed against Ogwari Polycarp, for the MP Agule County seat in Pallisa District, Annet Nyakecho against Geoffrey Ekanya, for the MP Tororo North County in Tororo District, and Maximus Ochai against Richard Okoth Othieno, the West Budama North County seat.
On Tuesday Justice Kawumi concluded hearing the petitions at Mbale High Court.
Justice Kawumi set December 14, as the date when he will rule in the Tororo North County seat appeal. Last year, Nyakecho appealed against the court ruling dismissing her petition challenging the victory of Ekanya.
Nyakecho garnered 9,563 votes against Ekanya’s 9,674 votes. She ran to the High court citing voter bribery and stuffing pre-ticked ballots among other electoral malpractices. She asked the high court to nullify Ekanya’s victory and declare her the duly elected MP for Tororo County.
But the Mbale High Court Judge Andrew Bashaija dismissed with costs the petition on grounds that the petition was accompanied by defective affidavits since they were commissioned by an Advocate who didn’t have a valid practicing certificate at the time of commissioning them.
Justice Bashaija ruled that the affidavits were null and void before ordering Nyakecho to pay costs to Ekanya and the Electoral Commission.
In the Agule County election petition, in Pallisa District, the Court of Appeal in April ordered for fresh hearing of the election petition challenging the victory of Polycarp Ogwari.
The Electoral Commission declared Ogwari an Independent leaning Candidate as the winner with 7,190 votes followed by Ochwa who stood on the National Resistance Movement ticket and obtained 6,908 votes in a race that attracted six contenders.
But Ochwa petitioned the Mbale High Court seeking to nullify the victory of Ogwari on grounds that his election was not done in accordance with the electoral laws because of bribery and intimidation.
The High Court Judge Dr. Andrew Bashaija dismissed the case on grounds that the affidavit in support of the petition sworn by James Nadhongha was invalid and incompetent since the Commissioner of Oaths whom he had sworn the affidavit in support of the petition did not possess a valid practicing certificate at the time.
The Court of Appeal Lady Justices Elizabeth Musoke, and Irene Mulyagonja set aside the High Court decision and ordered that the file should be taken back to the High Court for a fresh hearing.
Justice Kawumi said that he will rule on the petition on December 20. In the West Budama North County seat, the court has set December 2 as the date for the ruling.