Councilor Wants Elections of District Rep. on Kabale University Council Nullified

Kabale District Central Division District Councillor Leopold Twesigye has petitioned Kabale High Court challenging the election of Vera Tumukeki Tuyizere as the District Representative to Kabale University council.

Tumuheki was elected on 21st June 2022 by Kabale District Council as their representative to the University Council.

In the election presided over by the Clerk to Council Gordon Manzi, Tumuheki garnered 18 votes against her closest competitor and the Lyakarimira Town Council Male District Councilor March Boaz who polled 16 votes.

In March this year, the council failed to get the representative because the matter was forwarded to the Solicitor General for guidance on the whether to choose the representative by nomination or election. The Solicitor General guided that the council representative should be chosen through an election.

Last month, Twesigye  petitioned the former Kabale District Chief Administrative Officer Edmond Ntimba seeking his intervention and guidance to nullify the election and requesting him not to submit the name of Tumuheki to the Kabale University council before a fresh election is conducted in the next district council session.

Now, Kabale District local government and Vera Tumuheki Tuyizere are the first and second respondents to the suite respectively.

In his petition termed miscellaneous cause no. 08 of 2022 received by the Kabale high court assistant registrar at Kikungiri Hill in Southern Division, through his lawyers of M/S Mujurizi Alinaitwe and Byamikama Advocates, Twesigye said that Tumuheki was illegally elected as the district representative to the Kabale University council without proper procedure that attracted ultra vires. The case also stipulated that the District Speaker Flavia Nyinakiiza Kanagizi participated in the election which was against the rule of procedure.

Twesigye adds that the decision of declaring and submitting Tumuheki to Kabale University secretary as the district representative was ultra vires, illegal, unconstitutional and irrational.

Twesigye now wants court for nullify and declare the election of Tumuheki citing that she was illegally declared by the District Speaker. He also seeks court order for fresh election to choose a person who will represent the district as provided in the local government Act.

Court has now set 20^th October for the mention of the case before the high court in Kabale District.