Lwemiyaga County Member of Parliament (MP) Theodore Ssekikubo has accused the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sam Kahamba Kutesa of influence peddling in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries for the result of the Mawogola County North MP seat in the recently concluded election petition.
While speaking to the press earlier today, Ssekikubo appealed to President Museveni to reign over the situation in Sembabule where he accuses Minister Kutesa of running total affairs.
“Let President Museveni tell us how much contribution Mr. Kutesa made to be able to command such authority in Sembabule so that we collectively reimburse him and take over our affairs.” Ssekikubo said.
The MP went ahead to declare support for Aine Godfrey Sodo Kaguta, President Museveni’s brother that had initially been declared winner in the Mawogola North NRM Primary by the party EC Chairman Dr. Tanga Odoi.
“The election was overseen by the party EC Chairman himself. There was beefed up security everywhere and a winner was declared. How then, do you turn around and say there was rigging?” Ssekikubo asked.
Sodo Kaguta is competing with Ms Shatsi Musherure Kutesa, a daughter to the Foreign Affairs Minister. When Sodo was declared winner of the Primary, Ms Musherure appealed to the NRM Elections Tribunal that cancelled the former’s win and forwarded the matter to the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC).
According to Lawyer Enoch Barata, the Chairperson of the Tribunal, the two parties in the case appeared before them for the hearing on 8th October at the NRM Headquarters in Kampala.
“While the margin between the two candidates according to the District Registrar is 1,580 votes, several incidents stand out to show a substantial effect on the election.” Mr. Barata noted in the Tribunal’s ruling.
He further said that the results of the polling stations marred by violence and voter ferrying cannot be let to stand. He said that the tribunal would have ordinarily ordered for a re-election at the said polling stations but the decision could not be effective since nominations for MP in the general election were being conducted already.
MP Ssekikubo is battling a former friend, Joy Kabatsi in the Lwemiyaga County seat. Kabatsi and Ssekikubo had been colleagues in their hatred for Minister Kutesa with the former even swearing never to go to Parliament as long as Kutesa is alive.
Mr Ssekikubo, who is seeking a fifth term in Parliament, hit the political scene in 2001 when he defeated former MP Sam Rwakoojo, who was until recently, serving as a Secretary at the Electoral Commission.
