Nabilah Sempala’s parliament seat under threat

Kampala District Woman MP Nabilah Naggayi Sempala's seat is under threat after a group of lawyers petitioned court to throw her out of Parliament on grounds that her stay there is unconstitutional.

The lawyers, under the umbrella of the Uganda Catholic Lawyers’ Society, in their complaint claim Ms Nabilah cannot be an MP for Kampala District, a local government, since it ceased to be a district in accordance with article 5 of the Constitution and became Kampala City Authority administered by the central government.

Led by Jude Mbabaali and Richard Lumu, the lawyers, who filed the suit on Monday, also want court to order Ms Nabilah to refund all the money, including facilitation, she has received from Parliament as MP since May 16, 2011 when she was sworn in.

The lawyers cite the opinion of the Solicitor General in his advice to the KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi to disband the Kampala District Land Board as Kampala was no longer a district capable of having a district land board.

Ms Nabilah is jointly sued along with the Electoral Commission and the Attorney General.

The attorney general has been faulted for having allowed Ms Nabilah take an oath of allegiance as Woman MP for Kampala District which does not exist anymore, an action they say contravened articles 5 and 78 (1)b of the constitution.

The Electoral Commission has been sued for having allowed Ms Nabilah to be nominated and contest for the seat on an FDC ticket, and thereafter declaring her as the elected Woman MP for Kampala District. This, they say, was unconstitutional.

The petitioners further say that the actions of Ms Nabilah amount to selfish enrichment and wastage of tax payers’ money in form of Parliamentary emoluments and facilitation since she was in the house when the said Bill was debated upon and passed into law.

President Museveni on December 28 2010 assented to the Kampala Capital Bill 2009, which ended the district status of Kampala, then a local government, and instead changed it to Kampala Capital City Authority administered by the central government.

Court is yet to summon Ms Nabilah, the Attorney General and the Electoral Commission to file their defense.

online@ug.nationmedia.com