The panel of Justices in Kyagulanyi case.
In Summary: According to the notices, on Thursday, the Supreme Court will decide whether Kyagulanyi should be condemned to pay costs for withdrawing his presidential election petition. Despite allowing Kyagulanyi to withdraw the petition, the court did not give reasons nor did it decide on the issue of the costs.
Kampala. The Supreme Court has fixed Wednesday and Thursday to deliver its detailed rulings on two applications arising from the presidential election petitions filed by the former National Unity Platform-NUP presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will deliver its ruling on the application, in which City lawyer, Male Mabirizi asked the Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo to step down from Kyagulanyi’s presidential petition. Kyagulanyi has since withdrawn in which he had sought to overturn president, Yoweri Museveni’s victory in the January 14, 2021 polls.
The Supreme Court has since invited all the parties to Mabirizi’s petition to appear in court on Wednesday for the proceedings. The Judiciary Spokespersons, Solomon Muyita and Jameson Karemani have shared the same notices with the media via WhatsApp.
According to the notices, on Thursday, the Supreme Court will decide whether Kyagulanyi should be condemned to pay costs for withdrawing his presidential election petition. Despite allowing Kyagulanyi to withdraw the petition, the court did not give reasons nor did it decide on the issue of the costs.
In his petition, Kyagulanyi had accused Museveni of committing a string of electoral offences such as voter bribery, intimidation, the arrest of his supporters and sponsoring violence leading to the death of dozens of people among others.
He also faulted the Electoral Commission for failure to organize free and fair elections. He also faulted the Attorney General for failure to implement recommendations arising from previous presidential election petitions aimed at ensuring free and fair elections.
However, as the court was preparing to hear the application, Kyagulanyi filed two applications, one requesting to file additional affidavits to support his petition and another seeking to include new grounds. The court dismissed both applications, which prompted him to withdraw the presidential election petition.
However, the lawyers of Museveni, Electoral Commission and the Attorney general who were respondents to the suit asked the court to award them costs of the suit, saying they had spent time and money to file their defense.
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