By Editorial,
Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi has invoked scriptures to celebrate a major legal victory after the High Court dismissed a petition seeking to disqualify him and six other candidates from the Nakawa Division West parliamentary race.
The petition, filed by rival Ivan Bwowe, sought to nullify the nominations of Ssenyonyi and others on the grounds that they were nominated for “Nakawa West” instead of the official “Nakawa Division West.’’, with the petitioner praying to court to declare him the winner unopposed.
Following the ruling, Ssenyonyi reacted by quoting Jeremiah 1:19:
“They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”
In a strongly worded judgment, Justice Collins Acellam described the petition as a desperate attempt to bypass the democratic process because “Nakawa West” and “Nakawa Division West” are used interchangeably, and a minor clerical error.
He further noted the irony in Bwowe’s petition, pointing out that Bwowe himself appeared on official documents as a candidate for “Nakawa West.” The court emphasized that elective democracy must be decided by voters, not legal technicalities. END