Kampala – The rot in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) youth primaries has now escalated.
All we can say is that Tanga Odoi, the NRM EC boss is not having any breathing space because his office is now flooded with several petitions challenging the nomination of several youths who are contesting for the 5 youth seats in parliament.
Most of these petitions are challenging the ages of these contestants because most of them are over 30 years yet they claim to be younger. Other aspirants are said to have forged academic documents which do not belong to them.
And secondly, these youth have served at youth structures for almost 15 years and yet age limit is 30 years. The NRM youth primaries are slated for October 10, 2020. Today we unveil for you the forgeries!
Bernard Onen Odoi Mutusa
Odoi is contesting for Eastern Youth MP seat currently occupied by Isma Mafabi. Odoi, however, is having sleepless nights after his rival Judas Thadeo Wanyama petitioned Tanga Odoi contesting his age.
Wanyama alleges that while filling the NRM nomination form, Odoi indicated that he was born on August 28, 1991.
“He attached a copy of voter information from the National Voters Register indicating that he was born on 27th-08-1990. On the purported NIRA letter of confirmation of National identity card addressed to NRM EC dated 28th July 2020, it is indicated that he was born on 28th-August-1991 but with a vague, forged and non-existent NIN number CM860391023NJK to anybody born in 1991, nor 1990,” the petition reads.
“His UNEB letter of verification shows that Odoi Bernard sat O-level in 1999 (from Tororo Progressive Secondary School), implying that even if he started P.1 while one day old, and didn’t repeat any class, he was born in 1989 still rendering him older than 30 years, the required legal threshold for eligibility to contest for Youth MP in Uganda under the law,” the petition reads.
“While applying for LLB at KIU in 2010 and filling University Registration Form which is a pre-requisite process for admission and subsequent enrollment, he indicated that he was born on 28-08-1983.This is attached on this petition. Birth Certificate from Tororo District Administration with serial number 17973 equally attached on this petition as presented to KIU School of law indicated that Odoi was born on 28-08-1982. Remember, that by 2010, the only proof of birth was by birth certificate,” it reads.
He adds that in accordance with the above facts as presented by Odoi himself, it is inferred that he recklessly uttered false documents to NRM EC which bears two contradictory dates of birth.
“These are; 28th-08-1991 and 27th August 1990. This is a criminal act and does not pass integrity test as well,” he adds. He says that the purported NIN number CM860391023NJk for a person claiming to have been born in 1991 or even 1990 is a forged one and impossible,an act of illegality anybody born in 1991 has NIN number beginning with CM90…or CF90.
“Odoi is a public servant working with NIRA in Busia district. He didn’t submit to NRM Electoral Commission any proof of resignation. In fact, evidence on board is that he still receives a salary, and I can avail his salary payslip if need be,” he said.
He prays that taking into account the above facts, the NRM EC should declare the nomination of Odoi for youth MP. Eastern Uganda, a nullity and void.
Norah Robinah Akwi
Akwi is contesting for the position of National female youth MP currently occupied by Anne Adeke.
However, in a petition to NRM EC boss, Tanga Odoi, Saad Ssengendo through his lawyers of Lwere, Lwanyanga & Co Advocates alleges that in 2010, Akwi secured the nomination and successfully contested for the national treasurer of NRM youth league which office she served in and at all material times she uttered and declared inter alia, her date of birth as August 10, 1987.
He says this information is both within her and NRM EC’s knowledge. Ssengendo adds that the Akwi later in 2015, secured nomination and unsuccessfully contested for NRM flag bearer National Female Youth MP which she still at all material times uttered and declared inter alia her date of birth as August 1987.
He is now baffled that without prejudice to her age, Akwi has on the basis of her birth date as mentioned above been nominated and elected in various youth positions within the NRM without any inconveniences. As if that is not enough, the petitioner says that in seeking to contest for National Female youth MP under the NRM ticket for 2021 elections, has furnished grossly contradictory information regarding her birth date.
“A copy of a letter from NIRA Ref. NIRA/ADM/2A dated March 11, 2020, purports and provided that Akwi’s particulars of date of birth as being August 10, 1992, and in the same letter, her NIN is stated to be CF87056100G2HG which information is contradictory and aimed at altering the respondent’s real date of birth,” it reads. It should be known that the first numbers in every Ugandan citizen’s NIN is the actual year of one’s birth and for Akwi it is August 10, 1987 meaning she is now 33 years of age.
Based on the above, the petitioner now wants Tanga Odoi to bar the respondent from being nominated/endorsed as a contestant and declare her ineligible to contest for the post of flag bearer NRM primary elections, National Female Youth MP.
Marcelina Busomoke
She is also contesting for National Female youth MP. Busomoke was recently nominated to take part in the primaries for the NRM flag bearer National Female Youth MP. However Busomoke’s documents are all forgeries. This has forced Allen Namiya through her lawyers of Luzige, Lubega, Kawuma & CO Advocates to petition UNEB on the authenticity of her papers.
This is because the records at NRM EC indicate that Marcelina uttered two academic certificates; UCE and UACE allegedly issued by UNEB. In the documents available, Marcelina claims she sat UCE at Yale H/S in 2006 under index number UO822/032 when she was 14 years where she scored Agg. 14 (Div 1). She also claims she sat UACE at the same Yale High in 2008 aged 16 years and scored 15 points. However, a letter from UNEB Secretary Dan Odongo dated August 25, 2020, to the above lawyers, states that the UCE index number which Marcelina claims to be hers belongs to Kisige Suuna who scored aggregate 40 and was aged 19 years not Busomoke. Odongo in another letter dated August 23, 2020, to the above lawyers’ states that the UACE index number which Marcelina claims to be hers belongs to no one.
And the centre is Mpoma Royal SSS not Yale High School as Busomoke claims. We are very sure after getting feedback from UNEB, the lawyers are going to have a field day on Busomoke. The other candidates whose ages are being contested by the youth include; Joshua Akandwanaho, Agnes Tushabe, Patrick Mwesigye and Ronald Tugume.
Watch this space
