Electoral Commission Disqualifies NUP's Busiro East Hopeful Walukaga Over Academic Papers

The country's electoral watchdog has denominated Mathias Walukaga, the aspiring National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, from the race for Busiro East Member of Parliament.

A statement from the commission's headquarters confirmed that Walukaga was "denominated" after he "failed to meet the minimum academic requirements" for nomination to an elective office.

The decision, a direct enforcement of the Parliamentary Elections Act, means Walukaga's name will not appear on the ballot, regardless of his party's wishes. The law mandates that all MP candidates possess a minimum of an Advanced Level (A-Level) certificate or its equivalent, a bar the EC found Walukaga could not clear.

The news sends shockwaves through the NUP camp in Busiro East, a key constituency in Wakiso District. Walukaga had been actively campaigning as the party's prospective flag bearer, holding rallies and meeting voters. His sudden removal by the electoral body, not by his own party, creates a political vacuum and a public relations crisis.

"This is a brutal lesson in the absolute authority of the Electoral Commission's vetting process," said political commentator Sarah Nalwoga. "Parties can parade a candidate, but the EC holds the final gatekey. It underscores a failure of due diligence; the NUP machinery should have caught this long before the commission did."

The development raises immediate and awkward questions for NUP leadership. How did a candidate who lacked the fundamental legal qualification progress so far within the party structure? Who vetted his academic documents, and why did they pass initial scrutiny?



For rival campaigns, particularly that of the NRM, the EC's move is an unexpected tactical windfall. They now face an opponent in disarray.

As of press time, Walukaga himself could not be reached. His political ambitions, for this election cycle, appear to have been ended not by voters, but by a certificate he could not produce. The episode serves as a stark reminder that in Ugandan politics, the battle for a seat begins not on the campaign trail, but in the filing room, under the unforgiving gaze of the Electoral Commission.