By Peter Luzinda
Kampala Uganda— The High Court has scheduled December 22 for delivery of its judgment in an election petition filed by Busiro East parliamentary aspirant Mathias Walukaga, who is contesting his disqualification by the Electoral Commission (EC) over academic qualification requirements.
Justice Simon Peter Kinobe fixed the date on Tuesday after Walukaga appeared in court with his lawyers, Alex Luganda and Elias Nalukoola, for hearing of the petition.
The respondents; the Electoral Commission and a registered voter, John Lubowa Kilimiro had not yet filed their responses by the time the matter came up for hearing.
As a result, Justice Kinobe issued strict timelines directing all parties to file their submissions between December 17 and December 19. He indicated that once the schedules are complied with, the court would deliver its ruling electronically.
“If you comply with the timelines given, the judgment will be delivered on Monday through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System,” Justice Kinobe ruled.
Walukaga, a member of the National Unity Platform (NUP), moved to court last week after expressing dissatisfaction with the EC’s decision to nullify his nomination. In his petition, he states that he duly submitted his nomination papers to contest for the Busiro East parliamentary seat in Wakiso District and was successfully nominated on October 23, 2025.
However, on November 25, 2025, the Electoral Commission overturned his nomination following a complaint lodged by Kilimiro, who argued that Walukaga did not meet the minimum academic qualifications required for a Member of Parliament. The Commission ruled that the aspirant had presented an expired Mature Age certificate at the time of nomination.
In its decision, the EC noted that Walukaga’s certificate, issued on June 12, 2023, indicated an expiry date of June 12, 2025, meaning it had lapsed by the October 23 nomination date.
Walukaga disputes that conclusion, insisting that his academic credentials were valid. He argues that the Mature Age certificate issued by the Islamic University in Uganda was equated by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to the minimum formal education of Advanced Level standard.
He further maintains that a Mature Age certificate only expires after two years if it is not used to enroll for further studies. According to him, he enrolled at St. Lawrence University in August 2023, within the certificate’s validity period, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration.
Describing the EC’s decision as “unjust, unfair and illegal,” Walukaga is asking the High Court to quash the Commission’s ruling and reinstate his nomination.
The court’s decision, expected on December 22, will come just weeks before polling day scheduled for January 15, 2026, and is likely to have significant implications for the Busiro East parliamentary race.