JINJA, UGANDA: The high court in Jinja on Friday confirmed that His Royal Highness Gabula Nadiope IV, was legally elected as the rightful king of Busoga.
HRH Columbus Wambuzi filed a petition before the Jinja high court in 2014, challenging the election of Gabula, stressing that rightful procedures were never adhered too by the royal chiefs who presided over his enthronement as the king of Busoga.
Wambuzi further argued that the same royal chiefs who elected Gabula as the king of Busoga in 2014, had elected him earlier in 2008, making their decisions null and void.
However, Lady justice Jeanne Rwakakooko of Jinja High Court dismissed the petition with costs, directing the plaintiffs to pay all the defendants’ expenditures spent throughout the seven year court process.
In her judgment read by Jinja high court deputy registrar Fred Waninda, Rwakakooko stressed that only seven chiefs participated in the election of Wambuzi, contrary to Busoga’s constitution, which warrants a quorum of eight royal chiefs out of the 11 chiefs to participate in such electoral processes, making his election illegal.
She notes that the kings’ throne had been rendered vacant since Busoga kingdom’s constitutional provisions in regards to elections were never adhered too, creating room for eligible royal chiefs to contest for the same position.
Rwakakooko further stated that Gabula was in 2014 elected in the presence of 10 royal chiefs, making him the legally recognized king, since he was elected with the recommended quorum.
Wambuzi’s lawyer, Daniel Lubogo says that court did not expedite all the remedies prayed for in the petition, adding that he will hold consultations with his client before conclusively resolving on their next course of action.
Meanwhile, Gabula’s lawyer Alex Luganda preached unity, arguing that court’s pronunciation should foster room for the two parties to have a mutual reconciliatory ground, which will help them to iron out their differences.
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