By Uziah Tusaasire
The High Court in Mbarara has dismissed an election petition filed by former Mbarara City North MP Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari challenging the election of Christopher Bakashaba over allegations of academic fraud and impersonation.
In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Justice Tom Chemutai ruled that Bakashaba was qualified to contest for Parliament and was validly elected as Member of Parliament for Mbarara City North.
Rukaari had accused Bakashaba of using the Primary Leaving Examination results and academic identity of another person bearing the same name, who sat his PLE at Mushasha Primary School in Buhweju District in 2011.
However, the judge observed that evidence presented before court showed that Bakashaba had enrolled at Valley View Secondary School as an adult private candidate and subsequently obtained Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) and a Diploma in Law.
The court noted that UNEB regulations allowed candidates aged 20 years and above who had not sat PLE to register for UCE as adult private candidates, subject to special permission from the examination body.
Justice Chemutai further observed that Bakashaba’s academic documents had not been recalled or declared forged by the institutions that issued them. He also noted that police investigations into the alleged forgery were still ongoing, adding that the High Court could not make a determination on an investigation that had not been concluded.
The judge also ruled that complaints concerning pre-election irregularities and academic qualifications should first have been presented to the Electoral Commission, with dissatisfied parties seeking redress through the appropriate appeal process.
Consequently, the court dismissed Rukaari’s petition with costs and upheld Bakashaba’s election.
