Losers contest Central Youth MP election over age queries
Ms Sarah Kityo won the Central Youth MP race.
Masaka. Two youth delegates from the Central Region districts have petitioned court seeking to block the swearing in of their newly-elected MP alleging she is above the stipulated age.
Ms Sarah Kityo Babirye, the NRM candidate, was on Tuesday declared winner of the seat by Ms Leticia Nantabo, the regional Electoral Commission returning officer.
Ms Kityo, the outgoing Mukono District youth councillor, garnered 323 votes, followed by Independent candidate Arthur Katongole with 298 votes while Forum for Democratic Change’s Thomas Kayanja trailed with four votes.
However, Mr Innocent Kateregga, the Democratic Party youth delegate from Masaka District, and Mr Arthur Katongole from Ggomba District have gone to court challenging Ms Kityo’s election. They claim she is above the age limit for youth MPs which is 35 years.
In his petition filed before Masaka chief Magistrate’s Court, Mr Kateregga alleges that he had obtained vital documents supporting his claims and asked court to nullify Ms Kityo’s election as a youth representative and order fresh polls.
Citing excerpts from the 2005 High Court ruling by Justice Yorokamu Bamwine during the trial of a defamation case against a government newspaper, he said Ms Kityo told court that she was aged 25 then.
Kateregga further states that her education background does contradict her claimed age.
In a separate petition, another loser, Mr Katongole, also challenged Ms Kityo’s victory, alleging that it was fraudulently attained upon locking some of his supporters outside the polling venue.
He alleges that police dispersed many of his supporters out of Patel Hall and were deliberately denied entry even after the situation had normalised.
Ms Kityo described the claims as baseless, only being peddled by disgruntled youth leaders from both the National Youth Council and the NRM party who tried to block her way by supporting an Independent candidate.
However, Ms Kityo declined to reveal her exact age and vowed to defend her victory before court.
“I cannot stop anybody from going to court. It is their right but I also present evidence to defend my victory. I was elected to offer the youth better leadership not intrigue,” she said.
