End of Road for Walukagga as Court Upholds Electoral Commission’s Decision

Kampala– High Court Judge, Simon Peter Kinobe has dismissed a petition in which Singer Mathias Walukagga was challenging the decision of the Electoral Commission (EC) that denominated him from the official list of contestants for Busiro East Parliamentary seat.

A week back, the Electoral Commission ruled in favor of John Lubowa Kilimiro, a registered voter in who brought it to the attention of the Commission that Walukagga, lacked the minimum academic requirements to contest as a member of Parliament.

It was court’s findings that Walukagga sat for the Mature Age Test on 25th February 2023 and scored 54%, he was issued with a Certificate on 12th June 2023, which expired on 12th June 2025 and the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) issued equivalence certificate

on 11th June 2025, one day before expiry. Nomination occurred on the 23rd October 2025—four months after expiry.

“From the above timeline, I note that the petitioner’s only qualification had expired by nomination date, rendering both the certificate and NCHE equivalence invalid. Legal Notice No. 12 of 2015 sets strict conditions with no

provision for extension or exception. It provides that a mature age entrance examinations certificate awarded to a person aged at least 22 years who has passed the mature age entry examination should be valid for two years from the date of award.” Ruled justice Simon Peter Kinobe in a ruling delivered on Sunday 21st December via ECCMIS

That since Walukagga possessed an expired certificate at the time of nomination, his Nomination was invalid and therefore the Electoral Commission was right to denominate him basing on the above ground.

Court declined to grant the respondents cost because the matter is considered to be of public importance and has never been tested by legal jurisprudence and each party was ordered to cater for its own costs.

In this matter, John Lubowa Kilimiro and the Electoral Commission were the respondents.

This has left the stuff competition in the Busiro East race between three individuals; Hon Medard Ssegona (Incumbent) contesting as independent, Hajji Abdul Kiyimba (NRM) and Emmanuel Magoola (independent).