By Spy Uganda
A fresh dispute has erupted within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) over the eligibility of Brigadier (Rtd) Emmanuel Kyamuzigita Rwashande to contest in the party’s 2026 parliamentary primaries for Lwemiyaga County.
The challenge, brought forward by incumbent MP Theodore Ssekikubo, questions whether Brig. Rwashande satisfies the minimum education standards required to stand for Parliament, as stipulated in both the 1995 Constitution and the Parliamentary Elections Act.
At the heart of the petition filed to the NRM Legal Directorate last Friday is a contentious claim: that Brig. Rwashande is still a student at Nkumba University and has not yet completed the bachelor’s degree he lists as his academic qualification.
Degree Status Under Scrutiny
According to documents submitted alongside the petition, Brig. Rwashande claims to have a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy. However, Ssekikubo argues this is misleading, pointing to a university letter dated May 27, 2025, in which Nkumba’s School of Social Sciences confirms that Rwashande is still enrolled and is scheduled to graduate on October 26, 2025.
The letter, signed by Dr. Anne Abaho, the dean, confirms his registration under student number 2022/FEB/BAIRD/B230108/W, reinforcing Ssekikubo’s argument that the degree is not yet conferred and therefore cannot be used to meet the legal threshold for candidacy.
Furthermore, the transcript attached to Rwashande’s documents bears a disclaimer stating that results are “subject to approval” by the Academic Registrar — a clause often used to indicate that final certification is pending.
In an apparent attempt to bridge the academic gap, Rwashande also presented a Certificate of Equivalence from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), citing military courses from China, Tanzania, and Uganda. However, Ssekikubo dismisses these as inadequate substitutes for formal academic credentials.
He especially raises questions about the authenticity of the claimed 1982 military training in Uganda, arguing that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), as cited, did not yet exist under that name at the time — making the document historically questionable.
Ssekikubo’s petition also spotlights inconsistencies in how Rwashande’s name appears across different official documents: from “EK Rwashande” to “Emmanuel Rwashande” and “Emmanuel Kyamuzigita Rwashande.” These discrepancies, he argues, cast doubt on the integrity and traceability of Rwashande’s documentation.
Further casting doubt on the candidate’s academic history, Ssekikubo outlines contradictions in Rwashande’s timeline. The former soldier reportedly attended primary school from 1970 to 1977, while also being listed in secondary school from 1976 to 1979 — an overlap that defies logic. His curriculum vitae also admits that he did not earn any academic certificate from Kabwohe Secondary School, where he allegedly completed O’Level.
“No O’Level, no A’Level — and that’s where it all begins,” Ssekikubo noted, citing the constitutional requirement that parliamentary aspirants must have completed Advanced Level studies or possess an equivalent qualification.
NRM Yet to Rule
Enoch Barata, head of the NRM’s Legal Department, confirmed receipt of the complaint and noted that Rwashande would be allowed to present his defense. Under the party’s guidelines, any individual challenging a nomination must pay a Shs 100,000 fee to access related documents and initiate a formal review.
Rwashande, meanwhile, has denied all accusations, branding Ssekikubo’s petition a politically motivated stunt designed to tarnish his reputation. Speaking after his nomination two weeks ago, he accused his rival of circulating forged documents to create confusion and derail his campaign.
As the NRM prepares for internal vetting processes ahead of the 2026 elections, this challenge could test the party’s commitment to academic transparency and internal accountability.
