EC Kicks Walukagga Out of Busiro East MP Race

The Electoral Commission (EC) has officially disqualified musician-turned-politician Mathias Walukagga from contesting in the 2026 parliamentary elections for Busiro East Constituency in Wakiso District. 

In a ruling dated 25 November 2025, the EC found that Walukagga, who also serves as Mayor of Kyengera Town Council, did not meet the minimum formal academic qualifications required under the Parliamentary Elections Act. 

The decision followed a petition filed by M/S Signature Advocates, which challenged the validity of Walukagga’s Mature Age/Aptitude Test certificate that he submitted during his nomination on 23 October 2025. According to the Commission, the certificate, issued by the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) on 12 June 2023, had expired by the time of nomination.

The EC noted that the document carried a two-year validity period and had not been used to enrol for further studies within that timeframe. “A certificate of equivalence from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) cannot validate an already expired qualification,” the Commission ruled, citing the Supreme Court precedent in the Gole Nicholas Davis vs Loi Kiryapawo case. 

Walukagga’s legal team argued that the qualification was valid on the basis that he had gained admission and was pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration at St. Lawrence University. However, the EC rejected this argument, maintaining that he “lacked the minimum formal qualifications required for nomination.” 

The nomination dispute had already sparked political tension in Busiro East after the incumbent Member of Parliament, Medard  Lubega Ssegona, was denied the National Unity Platform (NUP) party flag in favour of Walukagga. Ssegona was subsequently nominated as an independent candidate. 

Political analysts say the development significantly reshapes the 2026 race. “This is a classic clash between celebrity appeal and parliamentary experience,” one election observer noted. “Walukagga’s cultural influence would have been formidable, but legal qualifications remain non-negotiable under Ugandan law.”