EC kicks out NUP’s Walukagga over expired academic papers
The Electoral Commission has removed NUP’s Mathias Mulumba Walukagga from the Busiro East MP race after ruling that he used an expired academic certificate for his nomination.
The decision was announced on 25 November 2025 by EC chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama. He said Walukagga’s Mature Age Certificate from the Islamic University in Uganda had expired months before nomination day. The document was issued on 12 June 2023 and expired on 12 June 2025. Walukagga submitted it on 23 October 2025.
A petition filed on 4 November challenged his academic eligibility. The petitioner said the certificate was invalid at the time of nomination. During the hearings, IUIU confirmed in a letter dated 11 November that Walukagga sat the mature age test in February 2023 and scored 54 percent. The university also stated that the certificate is valid for only two years unless used in time for further studies. The expiry date on the certificate matched this rule.
Walukagga argued through his lawyers that he had joined a Bachelor’s degree programme using the same certificate. The Commission rejected this argument. Justice Byabakama said the law does not allow the National Council for Higher Education to revive an expired qualification. He referred to a 2007 Supreme Court decision that made this position clear.
After meetings held between 7 and 15 November, the Commission ruled that Walukagga did not meet the minimum academic requirements under the Parliamentary Elections Act. The EC concluded that he did not have the equivalent of an A-Level certificate and declared him denominated from the Busiro East MP race.
The ruling removes one of NUP’s hopefuls in Wakiso District and changes the shape of the Busiro East contest ahead of the 2026 elections.
