In a letter dated February 25, 2021, Mayambala told the court that he was interested in taking over proceedings in relation to Kyagulanyi’s election petition.
The Supreme Court has requested former presidential aspirant, Willy Mayambala to put in writing a request if he seeks to take up Robert Kyagulanyi’s petition challenging President Museveni’s victory in the just-concluded elections.
Earlier this week, the National Unity Platform party president officially presented his application to the Supreme court to allow him to withdraw his election petition.
Kyagulanyi in his application noted with concern that he was forced to withdraw his petition because the court proved to be biased from the first day of hearing out his case.
Kyagulanyi who wrote justifying his reason for the withdraw also indicated that his witnesses have been abducted, tortured and others intimidated from presenting credible evidence before the court.
“The petitioner’s witnesses are being abducted, tortured, harassed and intimidated by state security operatives at the behest of the first(Museveni) and third respondent(Attorney General)’s agents. Organs of the state like Uganda Police Force and NIRA are being used by the respondents to investigate and infringe on privacy of the petitioner’s witnesses.”
“The petitioner lost time during the illegal house detention but this honourable court is more inclined towards the strict timelines which has disadvantaged the petitioner to the advantage of the respondents.” Kyagulanyi said adding that this was a sign that the court was only working in favour of the ruling party NRM.
However, following the news, Willy Mayambala has since shown interest in taking up the matter from Kyagulanyi.
In a letter dated February 25, 2021, Mayambala told the court that he was interested in taking over proceedings in relation to Kyagulanyi’s case petition.
“I write to object to the withdraw of the presidential petition formely logged in by Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu against several defendants as outlined in his petition. I as well write to express interest in taking on the presidential petition and seek to inherit the petition,” Mayambala noted in his earlier letter to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme court in return has since responded to Mayambala requesting him to seek the services of a lawyer to file his application to enable any proceedings to commence.
“Section 61(2) of the Presidential Election Act provides that on the hearing of the application for withdrawal, any candidate who might have been a petitioner in respect to the election to which the petitioner refers may apply to be substituted as a petitioner for the petitioner who desires to withdraw.”
Basing on the above, you are hereby advised to seek the services of a lawyer with a view of filing a formal application,” the Supreme Court letter reads.
