The High Court in Kampala has set Monday 22nd December 2025 to deliver its ruling on petition filed by the Opposition National Unity Platform Flag Bearer for Busiro East Parliamentary seat Mathias Walukaga challenging the Electoral Commission (EC) for disqualifying him from the race due to lack of the requisite academic documents.
On Thursday last week Walukaga through his lawyers Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola and Alex Luganda petitioned the High Court challenging EC’s ruling which he described as illegal and politically motivated.
According to his lawyers, EC’s claim that Walukaga’s mature age education certificate he obtained from the Islamic University in Uganda IUIU had expired by the time he submitted it to support his candidature was unconstitutional because the Electoral Commission lacks Jurisdiction to invalidate academic qualifications.
Nalukoola emphasized that any disputes concerning academic equivalence must be referred to the National Council for Higher Education, Uganda National Examination Board or issuing universities for clarification.
He further argued that once National Council for Higher Education issues a certificate of equivalence any challenges should be filed in the High Court not before the Electoral Commission hence their decision to sue the Electoral Commission.
Now appearing before the court today, Justice Simon Peter Kinobe has directed the respondents to file their reply and defense within one day, then the applicants will make a rejoinder and submission by Thursday and both by Friday a submission in reply will be made from the side of the electoral commission and complainant. The court will be able to make a rulling on Monday 22nd December.
By Alex Magala
