Lawyers representing National Unity Platform (NUP) politician Mathias Walukagga have advised him to follow his party’s guidance on the way forward in Busiro East Constituency and consider contesting again in the 2031 general elections.
Walukagga was disqualified from the Busiro East parliamentary race after the High Court upheld an earlier decision barring him from contesting, citing failure to meet the required academic qualifications.
His lawyer, Elias Luyimbaazi Nalukoola, criticised the handling of the case, saying it exposed weaknesses in how electoral disputes are managed in the country.
“This case revealed serious gaps in how electoral petitions are handled. In our view, the matter was determined more politically than legally,” Nalukoola said.
Walukagga has not yet personally commented on the ruling, while the National Unity Platform has also not issued an official statement on the matter.
The party is yet to declare its position on Busiro East, where it currently does not have a flag bearer for the parliamentary seat.
Nalukoola said that although the legal team was dissatisfied with the court’s decision, all available legal avenues had been exhausted.
“We are not satisfied with the outcome, but we have no further legal recourse. We have advised our client to respect the party’s direction and wait for the next electoral opportunity,” he said.
The lawyer also questioned aspects of the ruling, arguing that some critical issues were left unresolved, particularly regarding Walukagga’s academic qualifications.
“There are serious questions the court did not address, including how Walukagga is expected to obtain his degree next year without a Sixth Form certificate or its equivalent,” Nalukoola added.
Attention now turns to the National Unity Platform leadership, which is expected to clarify its next steps in the Busiro East constituency following the court’s decision.
