Court cancels election of MP who failed to answer P.3 questions

The election of Ms Cissy Namujju as Lwengo District woman MP was nullified by court on Friday over lack of requisite academic papers. PHOTO BY GERTRUDE MUTYABA.

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Namujju could not answer any, throwing court in a bout of laughter

MASAKA. The High Court in Masaka on Friday nullified the election of Lwengo District Woman MP, Cissy Namujju Dionizia and Kooki County legislator, Boaz Kasirabo Ninsiima over lack of academic papers and vote rigging respectively.
Court ordered the Electoral Commission to conduct fresh elections in both Lwengo District and Kooki County.
In her ruling, Justice Margaret Tibulya said that Ms Namujju did not have valid academic qualifications to become a Member of Parliament for Lwengo District basing on the evidence brought by the petitioner. Mr Martin Sserwanga, a resident of Bbunga , Kampala suburb, dragged Namujju to court accusing her of lack of minimum academic requirements for a member of parliament.

According to Sserwanga, Namujju did not pass her Primary Leaving Examinations which she sat from Kyazanga Primary School in Lwengo District and she illegally joined Secondary School.
Ms Namujju, who stood on the ruling NRM ticket contested alongside other three candidates whom she defeated in the February 18 parliamentary elections.
In her affidavit, Ms Namujju claims to have sat her; Primary Leaving Examinations in 1996, Senior Four in 2005 and Senior Six in 2007 before she obtained a certificate and diploma in Computer Information Systems from Aptech Computer Education Centre based in Kampala.

David Mpuuga being congratulated by supporters after court kicked out his rival Boaz Kasirabo. PHOTO BY ANANIA MUHIRWE


However, Namujju told court that she could not ably remember scores for each subject, but was able to tell the aggregate she scored at all levels, which earned her the respective academic certificates.
During hearing of the case, Namujju stunned court when she failed to answer elementary primary school literacy questions.
On June 16, lawyer Asuman Basaalirwa, who represented Sserwanga, had during the cross examination tasked Namujju to answer basic primary literacy questions, including defining what is a map, pollination, crop rotation, characteristics of an insect and differentiating between a noun and verb.
Namujju could not answer any, throwing court in a bout of laughter. Martin K. Sserwanga of Bbunga, Kampala, petitioned court on allegations that Ms Namujju lacked the requisite academic requirements to be an MP.

On the other hand, David Mpuuga, who stood against Ninsiima, challenged the latter’s victory, arguing that the election was rigged and marred with intimidation by military officers.
In his petition, Mr Mpuuga told court that results from some of the polling stations including Nkundi full Gospel Church, Kabukulula polling stations were not considered at the tally Centre.
Ninsiima (NRM) garnered 12,672 David Mpuuga (DP) got 11,776 votes, Amos Kahelo got 167, Milton Mugisha, 857, Shafik Bwowe, 260 and John Mary Ssebuufu got 4,306 votes.
This brings to 24, the total of NRM MPs who have so far been thrown out the 10th parliament since the February 18 elections.