The Electoral Commission (EC) has advised lawyer John Jet Tumwebaze to approach the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) for verification of Aine Kaguta Sodo’s academic credentials before any further action can be taken on his petition.
Tumwebaze, a resident and voter in Mawogola North Constituency who also contested the parliamentary seat as an independent candidate, wrote to the EC earlier this week challenging Sodo’s eligibility, alleging that he does not meet the minimum academic qualifications required to stand for Parliament.
Harriet Kashagire, EC’s Southern Central Regional Officer, confirmed receipt of the petition and said the Commission would respond formally after reviewing all relevant documentation.
She clarified that verifying academic documents falls under the mandate of UNEB and NCHE.
“As the Electoral Commission, we do not have the technical capacity to verify whether academic papers are genuine or not. That responsibility lies with UNEB and NCHE,” Kashagire said.
Tumwebaze defended his petition, saying it aims to protect public resources by preventing a potentially nullified election. He questioned how Sodo could progress to A-Level education given alleged poor grades at O-Level.
“I have a right as a voter to request and verify the academic papers of anyone seeking to represent me,” Tumwebaze said.
“This is about saving public resources from being wasted on an election that could later be nullified.”
UNEB spokesperson Jennifer Kalule Musamba advised Tumwebaze to submit an official written request for verification. “We can only act upon an official written request. If Mr Tumwebaze writes to us, Uneb will verify the authenticity of the documents he is concerned about,” she said.
Attempts to reach Sodo for comment were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, several Mawogola North residents dismissed the claims as politically motivated, insisting that Sodo is well-educated and capable of representing the constituency.
“If Sodo wasn't educated, he wouldn’t have come back to ask for votes. Last time he harmonized with Hon. Shartis Musherure and left the race in her favor. I am sure if he didn’t have the books, he would have left politics,” said one voter.
The petition has reignited political debate in Mawogola North, a constituency often marked by intense rivalry and past allegations of academic discrepancies among candidates.