By KT Reporter
The NRM flag bearer for Lwemiyaga County, Brig. Gen. Rwashande Emmanuel has written to the Electoral Commission seeking to defend his parliamentary nomination on Monday next week.
This follows a petition filed on 14th November, 2025, by his political rival, Theodore Ssekikubo, seeking the nullification of his nomination as a candidate for Member of Parliament for Lwemiyaga Constituency, in Sembabule district.
The petition accessed by Uganda Radio Network -URN states that Rwashande was wrongly nominated by the EC since his nomination papers were not commissioned in accordance with the law, and he allegedly lacks academic qualifications as a candidate for MP.
“The nomination papers of the Respondent were prepared and signed on the 9th day of September 2025 and the Oath Authenticating Statement was commissioned on the 8th day of September, 2025, and therefore they were not made on oath as is required under the Parliamentary Elections Act and Commissioner for Oaths (Advocates) Act Cap.6, Oath Act, Cap.21, and Statutory Declaration Act Cap 24,” reads part of Ssekikubo’s petition.
Ssekikubo explains that the statement under oath by Rwashande was not commissioned in accordance with the Oath Act, Cap. 21, as it was made and signed by him on the 7th day of September, 2025, and then commissioned the following day of 8th September, 2025.
Ssekikubo also challenges Rwashande’s academic qualifications, arguing that for purposes of his nomination, his competitor presented an Advanced level equivalent certificate qualification issued by the National Council for Higher Education dated 9th June 2025, based on a completion of a diploma in Defense and Strategic Studies from the National Defense University of PLA, 2007, a basic military training course, UPDF, 1982, and a Company Commanders Course, from Tanzania People’s Defence Force, 1998.
According to Ssekikubo, the certificate relied on by Rwashande had illegalities and material inconsistencies.
“The Basic Military Training Course Certificate of 1982 is in itself, forged and fraudulent. It was purportedly issued by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces -UPDF, complete with its emblem and its insignia, yet, UPDF is a creature of the 1995 constitution, and its predecessor, the National Resistance Army, which was established by the National Resistance Army Statute, which was enacted in 1992,” Ssekikubo argues.
Article 80 (1)(c) of Uganda’s Constitution states that a person is qualified to be a Member of Parliament if that person has completed a minimum formal education of advanced level standard or its equivalent.
Basing on this provision, Ssekikubo seeks the nullification of Rwansande’s nomination as a candidate for MP seat, arguing that the academic documents relied on to be equated to Advanced Level standard are fraudulent and illegal qualifications.
However, in his letter received on Monday, 17th November, 2025, to the Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama, Rwashande stated that he learned of the petition against his nomination through a press briefing by Ssekikubo, and that he had not been officially served with the same.
“This is therefore a request for your office to furnish me with a copy of the petition to the address on my nomination form to enable me sufficient time to prepare a response. I will also be available to attend any hearings about the said petition anytime on Monday, 24th November 2025, or any day thereafter at your convenience,” Rwashande’s letter reads in part.
Speaking to journalists at the Electoral Commission Offices in Kampala, Ssekikubo revealed that the EC had scheduled his first petition hearing on Tuesday, 18th November 2025. He described his opponent’s letter as surprising.
“I am happy that this matter is being fixed, let it be heard… he stands no chance, he shouldn’t waste the Electoral Commission’s time. He shouldn’t appear on the ballot paper,” Ssekikubo noted.
Brig. Gen. Rwansande was officially nominated by EC as the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party flag bearer for the Lwemiyaga County MP seat on 22nd October 2026.
His opponent, Ssekikubo, who is currently the sitting Member of Parliament in the constituency, was also duly nominated as an independent to contest in the upcoming parliamentary elections for the same seat from 2026 to 2031.
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