By; Charles Katabalwa

The Court of Appeal has upheld the election of Hon Peter Ssematimba as a rightful member of parliament for Busiro South overturning the earlier decision of the high court.

A panel of three judges led by outgoing deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma cancelled Justice, Lydia Mugambe’s ruling of the high court who had ruled that Ssematimba’s certificate of A-Level equivalence which he used for his nomination for MP was invalid because the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) did not verify the authenticity of his diploma in Electronic and Computer Technology before approving his academic qualifications.

Justice Mugambe had ruled that there was no evidence that Hon. Ssematimba of (NRM) attended Asuza College and obtained the diploma he alleges and also ordered NCHE to pay costs of the suit to Ssematimba’s political rival Stephen Ssekigozi who had petitioned court since National Council for Higher Education did not take due diligence to verify whether the purported Ssematimba’s diploma from the Pacific Coast Institute in the USA currently said to be nonexistent was true.

This decision however, was overturned today by the appellant court which also happens to be final as far as election petitions are concerned.

Speaking to reporters outside court after the disappointing ruling, the petitioner Sekigozi said he would nonetheless accept the decision of the court as final.

The court ruling was made in the absence of the victor, Sematimba, who was represented by his lawyers.


Monday 18th September 2017 03:48:16 PM