The High Court in Soroti has set January 20, 2023 as a day they will decide on the election petition filed against the Toroma County MP Joseph Andrew Koluo.
The high court Judge Justice Musa Ssekaana during the retrial of the matter also decided to set November 14, 2022 as date of filing additional submissions by the petitioners legal team while November 18 for respondents to reply.
All submissions will be done in writing.
Earlier, the judge dismissed the plea by the petitioner’s legal team to add more four supplementary affidavits that they said were not introducing new evidence but rather to back up the old submissions.
In his request Kassah Emmanuel requested that the four supplementary affidavits included, photos of burnt houses among others.
But Jude Byamukama opposed the request on grounds of late submission.
Solomon Osiya Elemu welcomed the court’s decision noting that the people of Toroma will now see justice.
He also said that the matter in court is not about war but rather expressing the people’s decision.
“I am not going to war with my opponent but rather we are settling an issue of whether people voted for him or me,” Osiya said.
Koluo on the other hand called for calm amongst the voters in Toroma County while expressing confidence that he will win the court matter.
Osiya lost the race with 8,013 votes against 9,179 votes gathered by Koluo. He then challenged the outcome on grounds that the election was not conducted in accordance with the principles and provisions of the electoral laws and allegedly affected the results in a substantial manner.
Ossiya had said that there were illegal practices and offences committed by Koluo, personally or with his knowledge, in connection to the election citing bribery, due influence and sectarianism, among others.
On the basis of this, the petitioner sought an order for annulment and setting aside from the election and that he should be declared winner of the January election.