Busiro South Member of Parliament and Super FM boss, Peter Sematimba is one of the senior candidates who are currently sitting for their Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) in Luweero, the NilePost has learnt.
Sematimba was in 2016 thrown out of Parliament by High Court Judge Hon. Lady Justice Lydia Mugambe following a petition by Democratic Party's Steven Sekigozi before the decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal.
In his petition to the High Court, Ssekigozi argued that Sematimba possessed a certificate that was issued by the East African Examinations Council of 1978 which was an equivalent of the UACE minimum requirement for one to contest in Parliamentary elections.
Sematimba in his defense said that he was cleared by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) which gave him a Certificate of Equivalence that he presented to the Electoral Commission during his nomination. Lady Justice Mugambe however ruled that the NCHE did that wrongly and rendered Sematimba's candidature illegal before ordering for fresh elections in Busiro South.
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On September 18,2017 however, the Court of Appeal nullified the High Court ruling and reinstated Sematimba as the elected legislator for Busiro South constituency.
Now speaking to NBS UNCUT off camera, Sematimba said that his papers were from the United States of America where he spent his early education life but was tired of being sued over papers and this is why he decided to go back to earn the UACE that Ugandans understand.
"When I was contesting in Busiro South, I was frustrated because of this certificate. My papers were from America and I was certified by the National Council of Higher Education but I decided to go back and achieve this senior six certificate that many Ugandans understand," Sematimba said in part.
According to Sematimba's profile, he holds a Diploma in Electrical and Computer Technology that is said to have been obtained from the Pacific Coast Technical Institute in the United States of America.
Sematimba now joins singing couple Geoffrey Lutaaya and his wife Irene Namatovu who went back to sit for their senior six exams.
Lutaaya surprised the country when he went back to school last year after almost 20 years since he dropped out to pursue music. He scored aggregate 62 and both Lutaaya and the wife vowed to sit for senior six exams together this year.
Lutaaya is also expected to contest for the area member of Parliament seat of Kakuto county is the 2021 general elections.
The UACE exams commenced on November 11, 2019 and will run until December 2.
