Lwemiyaga, Uganda: Lwemiyaga County Member of Parliament, Hon Theodore Ssekikubo, has formally petitioned the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission, demanding the cancellation of retired Gen Emmanuel Rwashande’s nomination as an aspirant for the party’s parliamentary flag.
Through his lawyer, Balirere Espire, Ssekikubo filed the petition on Friday, July 4, arguing that Gen Rwashande does not meet the minimum formal education qualifications required to contest for Parliament.
He accused the retired general of submitting forged academic documents, stating that Rwashande lacks the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) or an equivalent qualification as stipulated by the Constitution and the Parliamentary Elections Act.
“It is a requirement that any person intending to contest for a parliamentary seat must have passed A-level or its equivalent, but Gen Rwashande has none,” Ssekikubo asserted. He further argued that the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) erred in evaluating the general’s qualifications, particularly citing the basic military training from 1982 that was used in the assessment.
Ssekikubo maintained that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), referenced in the NCHE certificate, did not exist in 1982, casting doubt on the credibility of the documents submitted.
On June 19, NCHE issued a certificate confirming Gen Rwashande had met the academic threshold to stand for Parliament. The certification, signed by NCHE Executive Director Prof Mary J. N. Okwakol, was based on a combination of military training and professional courses, including a Diploma in Defense and Strategic Studies from China’s National Defense University in 2007, a Company Commanders Course in Tanzania in 1998, and the contested 1982 military training.
Despite this clearance, Ssekikubo insisted that the military qualifications do not constitute an equivalent to A-level education. “The NCHE was misled or acted outside the law by recognizing military courses that do not meet the constitutional standard,” he said.
Speaking to DailyExpress on Saturday, NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi defended the nomination process, clarifying that the party’s Electoral Commission relies on documents provided by mandated bodies such as NCHE.
“The NRM Electoral Commission is not UNEB or NCHE. We nominate candidates based on documents submitted. If a complaint arises, we forward it to the authority responsible for verification,” Dr Odoi said. He noted that July 4 was the deadline for submitting complaints and promised that all petitions would be reviewed accordingly.
Gen Rwashande, who officially launched his campaigns on Thursday, July 3, in Bulongo Sub-county, dismissed Ssekikubo’s claims as politically motivated. “My qualifications are valid and equivalent to the A-level standard. This is simply an attempt to derail my campaign,” he told supporters.
Rwashande is among five candidates nominated by the NRM to contest for the Lwemiyaga County parliamentary flag ahead of the July 17 primaries. Other contenders include former State Minister for Transport Joy Kabatsi and Edmond Bwire Nuwagaba of N+B Global Logistics. Additional aspirants such as John Patrick Kateeba, Geoffrey Tumusiime Ndengana, Migadde Juugu Amooti, and Dr Asaph Tumwebaze are expected to join the race as independents.
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