Bukenya opponent demands sh600m in court costs

By Andante Okanya

Hussein Kasta (DP), the political rival of former vice-president Gilbert Bukenya (NRM), is demanding sh606m as costs for winning the election petition for the Busiro North parliamentary seat.

The particulars of Kasta’s bill of costs includes lawyers’ fees, money spent on interviewing witnesses to the electoral  crimes, drafting and swearing of affidavits, plus money spent on his election observers.

Bukenya lost the seat on October 5 after court ruled that evidence had been adduced to the effect that he bribed voters. He was ordered to pay costs to Kasta.

Bukenya has since bounced back as MP after he won the December 1 by-election with 10,728 votes, while Kasta was second with 3,035 votes.

On Monday, the High Court in Kampala had scheduled a hearing for taxation in relation to the bill of costs filed by Kasta’s legal team,

The assistant registrar of the civil division, Eudes Keitirima, was supposed to hear it. 

But Kasta’s lawyer Julius Galisonga told Keitirima  that Bukenya’s lawyer Kiyemba Mutale, who was absent from court, had requested for more time to explore whether the parties could reach an agreeable                      sum.

Galisonga asked court to take note of the fact that the taxation hearing had been delayed for the second time after it failed to be heard on November 10 when Mutale asked for more time.

Accordingly, the hearing was adjourned to tomorrow.