Written By | Staff Writer
Nambaziira, who was elected on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, told the court that she did not complete Primary Seven or Senior Four.
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MASAKA
The Masaka High Court has given the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) two days to clarify the academic qualifications of Ssembabule District Woman MP Florence Nambaziira, who has told the court that she never sat her Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) or Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE).
Justice Christine Akello issued the directive on Saturday during the hearing of an election petition filed by Mary Begumisa, the former Ssembabule District Woman MP, challenging Nambaziira’s victory in the January 2026 elections.
Nambaziira, who was elected on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, told the court that she did not complete Primary Seven or Senior Four.
She said she instead obtained a hairdressing certificate from Mengo Youth Vocational Centre through the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT), where she trained in hair plaiting, washing and styling.
Her testimony prompted questions from Begumisa’s lawyer, Isaac Ebiro Ekirapa, who questioned how Nambaziira obtained an academic equivalence certificate from NCHE without sitting the primary and Ordinary Level examinations.
Ekirapa asked the court to require NCHE to clarify the status of the documents submitted in support of Nambaziira’s academic qualifications.
Begumisa had earlier obtained records from DIT confirming the vocational certificate. Her petition challenges whether the qualification meets the minimum academic requirements for election to Parliament.
Under Uganda’s electoral framework, parliamentary candidates must meet the prescribed minimum education requirements, including a qualification equivalent to Advanced Level standard. Candidates relying on alternative qualifications must establish that their credentials satisfy the applicable equivalency requirements.
The court’s order places NCHE at the centre of the dispute. The council is expected to clarify Nambaziira’s qualifications and whether it issued her a certificate of equivalence.
Nambaziira won the Ssembabule District Woman MP seat in the January 2026 elections with 61,638 votes. Begumisa received 24,495 votes, while musician Nina Kankunda, popularly known as Nina Roz, polled 15,345 votes. Esther Kyinkuhaire obtained 8,281 votes.
The petition also raises allegations of electoral malpractice, including voter bribery, ballot stuffing, multiple voting and obstruction of polling agents in parts of the district, including Mawogola and Mawogola West.
The allegations have yet to be determined by the court.
NCHE is expected to respond within two days as the hearing continues. Its clarification could help the court determine whether Nambaziira’s academic credentials meet the legal requirements for parliamentary eligibility. The final determination of the petition rests with the court.
