Bukonzo East MP Bihande Has Lost His Seat In Parliament.

Bukonzo East Member of Parliament Yokasi Bihande Bwambale has lost his seat following a Constitutional Court ruling.
The same court also ordered the Kasese MP to refund all the salary and allowances he has been drawing since he was convicted by the Anti-Corruption Court two years ago for uttering false accountability regarding the funds he received from Parliament to develop his constituency.
In a unanimous decision of the court, the panel of five justices led by Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma on Monday ruled that from April 3, 2012, Mr Bihande should have stopped receiving a monthly salary and allowances since he had ceased being an MP.

“The second respondent (Mr Bihande) shall vacate his seat in Parliament immediately. His seat in Parliament is declared vacated,” ruled the justices.
The justices added: “from the 3rd day of April 2012 when the 2nd respondent (Mr Bihande) was convicted of offenses involving dishonesty and moral turpitude, he ought to have ceased to receive any salary, allowances and any other emoluments and privileges accorded to a Member of Parliament having ceased to be an MP….”
The other justices on the panel were Eldad Mwangusya, Richard Buteera, Prof. Lillian Tibatemwa and Fredrick Egonda Ntende.

Further, the court ordered Mr Bihande, the husband to Kasese District Woman MP Winfred Kizza to pay all the costs that the petitioner, Mr Fred Police Busige, a concerned voter of Bukonzo East constituency used in successfully pursuing this petition.

In 2012, the then Anti-Corruption judge Catherine Bamugemereire convicted Mr Bihande after he pleaded guilty to embezzling Shs20m and forging accountability for the constituency development funds (CDF) that he received before uttering false accountability to the chief accountant of Parliament.
He was sentenced to a fine of Shs1 million or two years in jail in default for the charge of uttering a false document and to a fine of Shs2m or in default be imprisoned for three years.
The MP opted to pay the fine and he regained his freedom.