Faridah Nambi Kigongo, the runner-up in the recent Kawempe North parliamentary by-election, is appearing in court this Tuesday morning for cross-examination over bribery allegations she levelled against her rival, Erias Nalukoola Luyimbazi.
Nambi, who contested on the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, is challenging the victory of Nalukoola, the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, accusing him of bribing voters during the hotly contested poll.
In her petition before the High Court in Kampala, Nambi alleges that Nalukoola distributed money and other items to voters in the lead-up to the by-election, which she says significantly influenced the outcome in his favour. She is asking the court to nullify his win, citing electoral malpractice.
The by-election itself was tense, with reports of violence and brutality marring the campaign and voting period. Both camps accused each other of orchestrating intimidation, while observers questioned the integrity of the process.
Nalukoola has strongly denied the bribery claims, maintaining that his victory was a clear reflection of the people’s will. His lawyers are expected to subject Nambi to rigorous questioning during the cross-examination session to test the strength of her evidence.
