MP Edward Ssembatya loses Katikamu seat

Katikamu South MP Edward Ssembatya has lost his seat after court found his academic papers to be fake.

According to Justice Isabirye Kaweesa the documents Ssembatya relied on for nomination show that they belong to someone else or else were forged.

Sitting at the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala on Tuesday, the Judge noted the discrepancies in the names of Ssembatya that appear on several of his academic documents.

Kaweesa wondered why Ssembatya who claims to have sat O'Level in the names of Edward N. Ssembatya (1972) at St Henry's College Kitovu had to be admitted at the Uganda Management Institute under different names; Ssembatya Edward Ndawula in 2006.

Kaweesa also questioned as to why UMI issued a Diploma transcript bearing different names of Ssembatya Eddie Ndawula, adopting the legislator's nickname Eddie.

The judge based his decision on the fact that Ssembatya did not know the actual duration of his two diploma courses; in Finance Officer and Accounting Technician at UMI as he stated under cross-examination. He said that the courses lasted for only four months.

Kaweesa ruled that Ssembatya lacks the minimum A' Level academic qualification of a Member of Parliament and annulled his election ordering the Electoral Commission to conduct fresh elections.

He also ordered that Ssembatya pays costs of the petition to his political rival and petitioner Alfred Muwanga.