40 years ago: Museveni loses to Kutesa; challenges results in court

President Yoweri Museveni and his foreign affairs minister Sam Kahamba Kutesa have a history of political contest that spans four decades.

In the 1980 election, Museveni and Kutesa faced off in the race for Mbarara North MP seat.

Museveni was then the leader of the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) while Kutesa was a member of the Democratic Party (DP).

Kutesa beat Museveni in the poll. But the UPM leader challenged the results in court.

Through his lawyers of Hunter and Greig, Museveni sought the nullification of Kutesa’s election victory over alleged malpractices.

Museveni claimed that several people had used just one voter’s card to cast ballots in favour of Kutesa, and that polling officials had connived with his opponent to rig him out.

HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF?

Now, four decades since Museveni’s unsuccessful petition challenging Kutesa’s victory, the president’s brother and his minister’s daughter have faced off in a poll.

Postponed twice, September 04 and September 28, the Mawogola North election happened on September 30.

At 08:12 on September 30, Sembabule District National Resistance Movement (NRM) returning officer George William Katokoozi declared President Museveni’s younger brother Godfrey Kaguta Aine Sodo the winner of the Mawogola North flag bearer race.

Aine Sodo got 17,343 votes (46 per cent) against Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa’s daughter Shartis Nayebare Musherure’s 16,104 (42.7 per cent) and Salim Kisekka’s 4,274 (11.3 per cent).

“Thank you the people of Mawogola North-Sembabule district for handing me the flag to run in the forthcoming elections for Member of Parliament under NRM party,” said Aine Sodo.

“I also congratulate my main opponent Hon. Shartis Musherure and other aspirants for the patriotic race well concluded.”

But Musherure has challenged the results of the poll and is challenging Aine Sodo’s victory in the Dr Fred Tanga Odoi Electoral Commission (EC).

“I don’t believe we have been defeated: we have been cheated. We know we should pick up our pieces, fight on and live another day to serve our country,” she said in a statement.