The Court of Appeal has nullified the election of Jinja Municipality East MP Nathan Igeme Nabeta and ordered for fresh and immediate elections in the constituency.

The three judges led by Constance Byamugisha cited the lack of requisite academic qualifications and voter bribery to nullify Nabeta’s election.

The judges faulted the High Court in Jinja for reaching at a wrong decision when it dismissed a petition filed against Nabeta by Paul Mwiru of the Forum for Democratic Change.

Jinja High Court Judge Monica Mugenyi on June 28th dismissed Mwiru’s petition for lack of evidence to support the petitioner’s claims of voter bribery and lack of minimum academic papers.

Mwiru lost to Nabeta in the February 2011 parliamentary elections.

But the Court of Appeal judges evaluated the evidence on record adduced by Mwiru’s lawyers, Joseph Kyazze and Ambrose Tebyasa and ruled that the National Council for Higher Education breached the law when it accepted Nabeta’s certificate of A-Level equivalent without consulting the UNEB.

The judges also addressed their mind on the bribery evidence against Nabeta and found out that it was sufficient enough to succeed in the High Court.

Mwiru had told court that Nabeta gave out compressors and wielding machines to four garages in his constituency during campaigns, which amounts to a bribe.

The judges ordered Nabeta to pay Mwiru costs of the petition.