The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) is under intense public scrutiny following its decision to certify the academic credentials of Brigadier General (Rtd) Emmanuel Rwashande, a retired army officer seeking to represent Lwemiyaga County in Parliament.
On June 19, the NCHE issued a certificate confirming that Rwashande meets the minimum education requirement to run for Member of Parliament, basing its assessment partly on a Basic Military Training Course purportedly conducted by the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) in 1982 — a claim that has since ignited a storm of controversy online.
Social media is awash with criticism, with users questioning how the UPDF — which legally came into existence only after the promulgation of the 1995 Constitution — could have conducted official military training more than a decade earlier.
“There was no UPDF in 1982. It was the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) that existed as the national army,” one user wrote. “How then does NCHE accept a UPDF certificate from that year? This is either a mistake or deliberate deceit.”
According to the NCHE certification, Rwashande's qualifications were deemed equivalent to Uganda Advanced Level education. The listed credentials include:
- A Diploma in Defense and Strategic Studies from the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army of China (2007),
- The contested Basic Military Training Course by UPDF (1982),
- A Company Commanders Course in Tanzania (1998).
The certificate, signed by NCHE Executive Director Professor Mary J. N. Okwakol, states:
“I certify that Rwashande Emmanuel… has completed formal education of advanced level standard or its equivalent.”
Critics, however, have pointed to what they describe as a “lazy forgery” and questioned whether such rebel-era military training could legitimately substitute formal education. "In 1982, Museveni's group was a guerrilla outfit labelled ‘bandits’ by the then government. Did they even issue training certificates?" posted one account.
Despite the backlash, Rwashande has maintained a defiant tone. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he wrote:
“Another chapter closed. Mpozi ani aswade? To the people of Lwemiyaga constituency and entire country, thank you so much for your support, endless love and passion. Together we shall win.”
The NRM Electoral Commission has since cleared Rwashande to run in the party’s primary elections next month, where he will face off against incumbent MP Theodore Ssekikubo and former minister Joy Kabatsi.
Rwashande used his nomination ceremony to launch a scathing attack on Ssekikubo, accusing him of misleading the public about his qualifications.
“For the last 25 years, all we have seen is chaos and lies,” he told supporters. “Sekikubo lied that I don’t have academic qualifications, but today I stand here fully nominated.”
The Nile Post has reached out to the NCHE for comment on the origin and authenticity of the 1982 training qualification, as well as how it was validated. As of publication, the council had not responded.
Political analysts say the controversy risks damaging the credibility of the NCHE, which is tasked with safeguarding quality assurance in higher education.
“It’s not just about one candidate,” said a Ugandan on X. “This touches the entire framework of academic validation for public office. If the system is abused for political convenience, the consequences are grave.”
Former Aruu County MP Samuel Odonga Otto claimed that there were at least 50 NRM legislators in Parliament with dubious qualifications certified by NCHE.
The Nile Post could not independently verify the claims.
With the NRM primaries in Lwemiyaga expected to be tightly contested, the debate over qualifications is likely to remain a central theme in the weeks ahead.