A petition filed by Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo is challenging the nomination of Brigadier (Rtd) Emmanuel Rwashande for the 2026 NRM parliamentary primaries, pointing to a critical detail: Rwashande is still enrolled as a student at Nkumba University and has not yet graduated.
In a formal complaint submitted to the NRM Legal Department on Friday, Ssekikubo argues that Rwashande does not meet the minimum academic requirements to contest for Parliament. Article 80(1)(c) of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution and Section 4(1)(c) of the Parliamentary Elections Act require candidates to have completed Advanced Level education or an equivalent qualification.
According to Ssekikubo, Rwashande declared he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from Nkumba University but failed to provide a graduation certificate. Instead, he attached a university letter dated May 27, 2025, confirming he is a current student registered under number 2022/FEB/BAIRD/B230108/W. The letter, signed by Dr. Anne Abaho, Dean of the School of Social Sciences, states Rwashande will graduate on October 26, 2025.
This timeline, Ssekikubo says, makes it clear: “Rwashande is still a student and cannot claim to have completed a degree that he has not yet formally obtained.”
The provisional transcript submitted by Rwashande includes a disclaimer that final results will only be certified by the Academic Registrar. Ssekikubo argues this reinforces the fact that Rwashande remains academically ineligible as of now.
To compensate, Rwashande submitted a Certificate of Equivalence from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), which Ssekikubo says would be redundant if Rwashande actually held a recognized degree. The NCHE certificate references three prior military qualifications: a 2007 diploma from China’s National Defense University, a 1982 basic military training course from the UPDF, and a 1998 Company Commanders Course from Tanzania.
But Ssekikubo contests these as well—pointing out, for instance, that the UPDF did not exist in 1982, making that certificate “legally impossible.” He also raises identity concerns, noting inconsistencies in the names used across documents: “EK Rwashande,” “Rwashande Emmanuel,” and “Emmanuel Kyamuzigita Rwashande.”
Additionally, Ssekikubo challenges the educational background listed on Rwashande’s CV. It claims he was in primary school from 1970–1977 and secondary school from 1976–1979—an overlap that suggests a factual contradiction. The CV also admits that Rwashande did not obtain any academic award from Kabwohe SSS, where he reportedly completed his O’Level.
“No O’Level, no A’Level. That’s the foundation,” Ssekikubo emphasized in the petition, urging the NRM Legal Department to nullify Rwashande’s nomination on grounds of ineligibility.
NRM Legal Director Enoch Barata confirmed receipt of the petition. He said Rwashande would be given the opportunity to respond before any decision is taken.
According to NRM regulations, a fee of Shs 100,000 must be paid to challenge a nomination and access related documents.
Speaking shortly after his nomination two weeks ago, Brigadier Rwashande denied lacking the necessary academic credentials and accused Ssekikubo of circulating forged documents to damage his reputation.
Still, as the NRM gears up for internal vetting, the question remains central to the party’s legal team: Can a candidate still pursuing a degree be considered to have met the academic bar for parliamentary nomination?
