In a major blow to Mathias Walukagga, the High Court has backed the Electoral Commission’s decision to kick him out of the race for Busiro East MP on the National Unity Platform ticket. Justice Simon Peter Kinobe ruled that Walukagga did not meet the minimum academic requirements on the nomination day, 23rd October 2025. Walukagga’s […]
In a major blow to Mathias Walukagga, the High Court has backed the Electoral Commission’s decision to kick him out of the race for Busiro East MP on the National Unity Platform ticket.
Justice Simon Peter Kinobe ruled that Walukagga did not meet the minimum academic requirements on the nomination day, 23rd October 2025. Walukagga’s claim rested on a Mature Age certificate from IUIU and an equivalence certificate from NCHE. However, the court found the key document had technically expired, giving the EC legal grounds to dismiss him.
Justice Kinobe held that the petitioner’s Mature Age/Aptitude Test Certificate, issued by the Islamic University in Uganda on 12th June 2023, had expired by the date of nomination, 23rd October 2025. The petitioner had argued that subsequent enrollment at St. Lawrence University and a November 2025 letter from IUIU confirming the certificate’s validity for further studies should maintain his eligibility.
The court, however, ruled that the Electoral Commission acted within its statutory and constitutional mandate under Article 61(1)(f) of the 1995 Constitution and Section 15 of the Electoral Commission Act to adjudicate complaints concerning the eligibility of candidates. Justice Kinobe also noted that while the National Council for Higher Education had equated Walukagga’s qualification to Advanced Level, the validity of the original Mature Age Certificate is time-limited.
“The Electoral Commission did not exceed its jurisdiction. Its role was to determine whether the academic documents presented were valid at the time of nomination,” Justice Kinobe stated. He added that post-nomination challenges are only permissible where defects could not have been reasonably discovered at the time of nomination.
The Court however stressed that complaints about qualifications must be filed before elections and noted the Electoral Commission’s authority to act on such disputes. Walukagga’s attempt to challenge the EC’s decision in court has been dismissed as “without merit.”
This ruling clears the way for the Busiro East parliamentary race to continue without Walukagga, leaving other candidates to vie for the seat.
