The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has addressed concerns over the delay in swearing in Elias Luyimbaazi Nalukoola as the duly elected Member of Parliament for Kawempe North Constituency.
Among clarified that Parliament is still awaiting the official gazette from the Electoral Commission (EC), which is a prerequisite for the swearing-in ceremony.
She assured members that once the gazette is published, Parliament will take the necessary steps to administer the oath of office.
Her remarks came in response to a query from Kira Municipality MP, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, who questioned why Nalukoola had not yet been sworn in despite being declared the winner of the March 13 by-election.
Nganda cited past instances where National Resistance Movement (NRM) MPs, such as Michael Mawanda of Igara East, were sworn in within 24 hours of their declaration as winners.
Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, also expressed deep concern over the Electoral Commission’s delay in gazetting Nalukoola’s victory, calling for transparency and fairness in the process.
The by-election, held on March 13, was highly contested and marred by violence, including the brutalization of several journalists. On March 14, Henry Makabayi, the Returning Officer for Kampala Electoral District, declared Nalukoola the winner with 17,764 votes, in accordance with Section 77(1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act.
Julius Mucunguzi, the EC spokesperson, defended the delay, stating that Sections 58 and 59 of the Parliamentary Elections Act provide a legal timeframe within which the Commission must gazette election results.
He emphasized that the Commission is still operating within this timeframe.
The delay has sparked debate in Parliament, with opposition MPs urging the Electoral Commission to expedite the process and ensure the electorate’s will is respected.
By Ben Musanje
20th Mar, 2025
END
 | ReplyForwardAdd reaction |
