Amin goes through unopposed

KAMPALA- Taban Amin, a grandson of former president Idi Amin, has emerged unopposed as MP for Kibanda North constituency in Kiryandongo District after his main challenger Sam Amooti Otada lost a last-minute court petition and withdrew from the by-election race.
The High Court dismissed Mr Otada’s petition that sought to block today’s by-election on grounds that NRM flag-bearer Amin was elected in contempt of a Masindi High Court order that stopped the ruling party from carrying out its primaries.
Mr Otada said: “I respectfully disagree with the decision of the judge and it is a not a surprise.

This is the final court in pre-polling petitions and we cannot appeal.”

Justice Margret Oguli-Oumo ruled: “There is no evidence on the court record that the court order was ever served and by the time it was issued, the election process was already in progress and it was never directed to be served to any specific NRM official.”
Justice Oguli dismissed Otada’s allegations that Mr Taban was not a registered voter in Kibanda North.
The Kibanda North parliamentary seat fell vacant last month after the Court of Appeal nullified the election of Taban Amin, a grandson of former president Idi Amin, on grounds that there was noncompliance with the electoral laws.
Three justices of the appellate court also noted that after perusing the file, they found that whereas Mr Taban had been nominated as Taban Idi Amin and the academic documents he relied on for nomination bear the same names, the National Voters Register bears the name Idi Taban Amin Tampo, but he was declared and gazetted as Taban Idi Amin. The judges also observed that his National ID bears the name Idi Taban Amin Tampo but his passport has only Idi Taban Amin.