Kasese Woman Member of Parliament Winfred Kiiza has been thrown out of Parliament following a Court of Appeal ruling on Monday morning.
The election of Kiiza, the Opposition Chief Whip, has been quashed over irregularities in the electoral process that saw valid votes wrongfully nullified.
Three Justices of the Court of Appeal led by the Deputy Chief Justice Alice Mpagi Bahigeine found that more than 6,841 votes were invalidated wrongfully because Electoral Commission officials did not know their role. The Judges noted that the invalidated votes affected the results substantially. They have ordered fresh polls.
Kiiza is now is demanding for 200 million shillings from Electoral Commission. She says she spent the money in the February 2011 elections and now that court has ordered the Commission to foot the bill, she will instruct her lawyers demand for that.
She also says she is ready for the by-election and will be heading to the constituency next week to lay her ground work in order to come back to parliament. She has already ordered the production of her posters in readiness for the by-elections.
Alice Alaso, the FDC Secretary General, says she was also shocked by the news that her colleague had been ordered out of parliament.
Kizza was dragged to court by her political rival Rehema Muhindo, who argued that the process had not been free and fair.
Kiiza served as a District Councilor in Kasese from 1998 before joining parliament in 2006. She has been the opposition deputy chief whip, chairperson committee of government assurance and now the Opposition Chief Whip.
