The High Court has set December 22 as the date for delivering its judgment in a petition challenging the disqualification of Busiro East parliamentary aspirant Mathias Walukaga.
Justice Simon Peter Kinobe fixed the date on Tuesday after Walukaga, accompanied by his lawyers Alex Luganda and Elias Nalukoola appeared before court for the hearing of the matter. The case pits Walukaga against the Electoral Commission (EC) and a registered voter, John Lubowa Kilimiro, who lodged the complaint that led to his disqualification.
At the hearing, the court was informed that the respondents were yet to file their responses. Justice Kinobe subsequently issued firm timelines, directing all parties to submit their written arguments between December 17 and December 19, paving the way for a final decision.
“If all parties comply with the timelines given, the judgment will be delivered on Monday through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System,” Justice Kinobe ruled.
Walukaga, a member of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and a well-known cultural figure, ran to court last week protesting the EC’s decision to cancel his nomination. According to court records, he was duly nominated on October 23, 2025, to contest for the Busiro East parliamentary seat in Wakiso District.
However, on November 25, 2025, the Electoral Commission reversed his nomination after Kilimiro petitioned the Commission, arguing that Walukaga did not meet the minimum academic qualifications required of a Member of Parliament. The EC concluded that Walukaga had presented an expired Mature Age certificate at the time of nomination.
The Commission based its decision on the certificate issued to Walukaga on June 12, 2023, which indicated an expiry date of June 12, 2025. In the EC’s view, the certificate had lapsed by the time nominations were conducted in October 2025.
Walukaga has strongly contested that interpretation. In his petition, he argues that the Mature Age certificate issued by the Islamic University in Uganda was duly equated by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to Advanced Level standards, as required by law.
He further maintains that a Mature Age certificate only expires if it is not used within two years to enroll for further studies. Walukaga told the court that he enrolled at St. Lawrence University in August 2023, well within the validity period and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration.
Drawing from past election disputes, Walukaga’s legal team argues that the EC acted unreasonably and outside the law by disregarding his academic progression and the NCHE’s equivalency guidance. They insist that once a candidate uses a Mature Age certificate to gain admission to a recognized university, the question of expiry becomes moot.
Describing the EC’s decision as “unjust, unfair and illegal,” Walukaga is asking the High Court to quash the Commission’s ruling and reinstate his candidature, warning that voters in Busiro East risk being denied their preferred choice at the ballot.
The court’s ruling, expected just weeks before polling day slated for January 15, 2026, is anticipated to have far-reaching implications not only for the Busiro East parliamentary race but also for how academic qualifications are interpreted in future electoral disputes.
