NUP's Walukagga loses Busiro East race disqualification case

KAMPALA - The High Court in Kampala has dismissed a case in which National Unity Platform’s Mathias Walukagga was challenging his disqualification from the Busiro East Constituency parliamentary race.

Walukagga had sued the Electoral Commission (EC) and voter John Lubowa Kilimiro, after the Commission disqualified him [Walukagga] from the Busiro East parliamentary race over a lack of requisite academic qualifications at the time of nomination.

In a judgment dated December 21, 2025, Justice Simon Peter Kinobe of the Civil Division ruled that Walukagga had an expired certificate at the time of nomination.

“The petitioner did not possess a valid academic qualification at the time of nomination,” he ruled.

Walukagga was represented by three law firms: Nalukoola Advocates and Solicitors, Alaka and Company Advocates, and Ahamark Advocates, while the EC was represented by its legal department. Kilimiro was represented by Signature Advocates.

The decision followed a petition by lawyers from Signature Advocates, who argued before the EC tribunal that the mature-age entry examination certificate Walukagga submitted for nomination neither equated to the A’level qualification nor remained valid, as it had expired.

The suit

On December 11, 2025, Walukagga sued EC alongside Kilimiro, a registered voter in Busiro East Constituency, who challenged his academic credentials.

Through his lawyers, Walukagga argues that the fact that he was admitted to university and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public administration based on the said certificate, “the impugned certificate was, therefore, valid for purposes of his nomination.”

However, EC chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama quoted the University and other Tertiary Institutions Legal Notice, which provides that a certificate awarded to a person who sat and passed mature age entry examinations with at least 50% shall be valid for two years from the date of the award.

The certificate of mature age/ aptitude test indicates June 12, 2025, as the date of its expiry.

However, Walukagga tendered to the EC a letter from the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), dated November 11, 2025, confirming that the certificate expires after two years if the candidate has not used it to enrol for further studies; otherwise, it remains valid.

Court documents indicate that Walukagga was nominated based on a certificate of mature age/aptitude test awarded by IUIU on June 12, 2023, and a certificate of equivalence issued by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) dated June 11, 2025, for his nomination.

Walukagga argued that upon issuance of a mature entry certificate, he immediately enrolled at St. Lawrence University in August 2023, where he is currently a third-year student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public administration. 

Walukagga further stated that his mature entry certificate was equated to the formal education of advanced level standard by the NCHE in consultation with the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) on June 11, 2025.

“The EC entertained the matter without jurisdiction in reviewing my academic papers, which had already been verified by NCHE in consultation with UNEB,” he contended.