Ssekikubo petitions NRM over academic qualifications of Brigadier Rwashande

 Lwemiyaga County Member of Parliament, Theodore Ssekikubo, has petitioned the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Legal Department, seeking to nullify the nomination of his opponent, Brigadier (Rtd) Emmanuel Rwashande, over alleged lack of the academic qualifications required to contest for Parliament.

In his petition submitted on Friday, Ssekikubo—who is also seeking the NRM flag for the 2026–2031 term—argues that Rwashande does not meet the minimum academic standard as stipulated under Article 80(1)(c) of the 1995 Constitution and Section 4(1)(c) of the Parliamentary Elections Act. Both provisions require a candidate for Parliament to have completed Advanced Level (S6) education or its equivalent.

Ssekikubo claims that although Rwashande declared in his nomination form that he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Nkumba University, he failed to attach any certificate to verify the award. Instead, he submitted a letter from the university dated May 27, 2025, which states that he is still a student under registration number 2022/FEB/BAIRD/B230108/W. The letter, signed by Dr. Anne Abaho, Dean of the School of Social Sciences, confirms that Rwashande will graduate on October 26, 2025.

“The above-named person, Rwashande Emmanuel, registered under: 2022/FEB/BAIRD/B230108/W, is a student at Nkumba University and successfully completed his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy. He will graduate on 26th October, 2025. Mr. Rwashande has been a flexible, committed and friendly student. He demonstrates maturity in discussions and triggers critical thinking among his peers,” the letter reads.

Rwashande also submitted a provisional transcript, which states, “Results on this document are provisional. A full transcript is issued by the Academic Registrar.” Based on this, Ssekikubo argues that Rwashande remains a student and has not yet formally obtained a degree. To bridge the academic gap, Ssekikubo says Rwashande sought a Certificate of Equivalence from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), which is typically issued to validate non-formal qualifications as equivalent to Advanced Level.

He argues that this would be unnecessary had Rwashande obtained a recognized university degree. The NCHE certificate submitted by Rwashande is based on three qualifications: a Diploma in Defense and Strategic Studies from China’s National Defense University in 2007; a Basic Military Training Course allegedly awarded by the UPDF in 1982; and a Company Commanders Course from Tanzania’s People’s Defence Forces in 1998.

Ssekikubo contests the authenticity of these qualifications. He points out that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) did not exist in 1982, as they were officially created under the 1995 Constitution, making the issuance of such a certificate in that year legally impossible.

He also notes that the Company Commanders Course certificate was issued to “EK Rwashande,” not “Rwashande Emmanuel,” suggesting potential identity fraud. Although the Diploma from China was awarded to Emmanuel Rwashande, the NCHE certificate was issued in the name “Rwashande Emmanuel,” further raising identity consistency concerns.

Ssekikubo also scrutinizes a certificate from the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs signed by the Chief of Defence Forces, which was awarded to Brigadier General Emmanuel Kyamuzigita Rwashande. He argues that this differs from “Rwashande Emmanuel,” the name appearing on most of the submitted academic documents, and could suggest that two different individuals are being conflated. The petition further highlights contradictions in Rwashande’s CV.

It indicates that he attended Kinuka Primary School from 1970 to 1977 and Kabwohe SSS from 1976 to 1979, meaning he would have been in primary and secondary school at the same time in 1976 and 1977—something Ssekikubo says is not possible. Additionally, Rwashande’s CV reportedly admits that he did not receive any academic award from Kabwohe SSS, implying he lacks an O’Level qualification.

Based on this, Ssekikubo argues that any claim to Advanced Level equivalence without an O’Level foundation is invalid. As such, Ssekikubo wants the NRM Legal Department to nullify Rwashande’s nomination, arguing that he does not meet the academic requirements to contest for Parliament under the party ticket. The head of the NRM Legal Department, Enoch Barata, confirmed receiving the petition. He said Brigadier Rwashande would be granted the opportunity to respond to the allegations before a decision is reached.

According to NRM guidelines, anyone wishing to challenge a candidate’s nomination must pay a fee of 100,000 shillings to access the nomination documents of the candidate in question. About two weeks ago, following his nomination, Brigadier Rwashande dismissed allegations that he lacked academic qualifications. He accused Ssekikubo of circulating fake academic documents on social media in an effort to tarnish his name