Independent Parliamentary aspirant Hope Maurishia has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to consider the legal merits of her petition challenging the nomination of Loydah Twinomujuni Kyarikunda as Mbarara District Woman Member of Parliament, saying the matter should be decided on technical grounds rather than political arguments.
In a statement, Maurishia said Kyarikunda’s legal team focused on political defences, ignoring what she termed the central issue: whether forged academic documents were submitted to the EC.
“Their defense was political rather than addressing the issues of petition which is forgery mainly,” she said.
Maurishia questioned claims by Kyarikunda’s lawyers that the certificate in question was valid because it was signed at the time of collection rather than at graduation.
She described this assertion as “a pure lie” and said certificates are officially signed during graduation, remaining in safe custody until collected.
Maurishia urged the relevant institutions, including Makerere University, to provide official records confirming when certificates were signed and issued.
“This is not about whether the respondent won massively in NRM primaries,” she added.
“Our interest is whether the EC can allow someone with proof of forgery to remain on the ballot or act independently to disqualify the candidate.”
The petition, filed through Kyamanywa & Co. Advocates, seeks nullification of Kyarikunda’s nomination, citing a letter from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) that labeled a certificate presented by Kyarikunda as a forgery.
According to NCHE Executive Director Prof. Mary Okwakol, tendering a forged document is a criminal offense under Ugandan law.
Maurishia’s lawyers have requested the EC to bar Kyarikunda from contesting the 2026–2031 parliamentary elections and have asked for additional time to allow institutions to provide evidence supporting the petition.
As of press time, the Electoral Commission had not issued an official response. If upheld, the case could see Kyarikunda disqualified and potentially face criminal investigation over the alleged forgery, setting a precedent for scrutiny of candidate qualifications in upcoming elections.