MP Bakashaba petition: UNEB, UCAA chiefs to face cross-examination
The legal team representing former area legislator Dr Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari listed the two executive directors among the key witnesses expected to testify when the case resumes on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at the Mbarara High Court.
Christopher Bakashaba (left), the MP for Mbarara City North Constituency, listening to the submissions at Mbarara High Court on Monday, where he is battling a case of forgery and fraudulently obtaining academic documents. (Photo by Fred Turyakira)
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The heads of the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) and the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) have been lined up to testify in an election petition challenging the academic qualifications of Mbarara City North Member of Parliament Christopher Bakashaba.
The legal team representing former area legislator Dr Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari listed the two executive directors among the key witnesses expected to testify when the case resumes on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at the Mbarara High Court.
Other witnesses scheduled to testify include the Mbarara city electoral district returning officer, the petitioner, Dr Rukaari, MP Bakashaba, and another individual named Christopher Bakashaba, a former Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) candidate at Mushasha Primary School who filed an affidavit claiming that the MP-elect hijacked his academic identity.
Dr Rukaari, who lost the 2026 election, dragged Bakashaba and the Electoral Commission (EC) to court to challenge the nomination and subsequent election of the MP-elect over alleged lack of the requisite qualifications.
Appearing before Justice Tom Chemtai on Monday, September 28, 2026, Rukaari’s legal team, led by counsels James Munguriek and Abel Kandiho, argued that Bakashaba fraudulently assumed the identity of another individual with an identical name.
Dr Mwesigwa Robert Rukaari (in a necktie), who dragged Christopher Bakashaba, the MP for Mbarara City North Constituency, to Mbarara High Court over forgery and fraudulently obtaining academic documents. (Photo by Fred Turyakira)
Defence raises preliminary objections
During the session, defence counsels Eric Sabiiti, representing the EC, and Edgar Ayebazibwe, representing Bakashaba, raised preliminary objections regarding the court’s jurisdiction.
They argued that the High Court cannot hear pre-poll disputes, which they said fell under the mandate of the EC during the nomination period. They noted that the petitioner had not lodged any formal complaint with the EC before the polling date.
The defence also claimed that Bakashaba had not been properly served with the petition and asked the court to dismiss the case.
'A national concern'
In response, Rukaari’s legal team argued that because the petition hinges on allegations of fraud and forgery, the High Court has the power to investigate the matter.
The petitioners further accused the EC of failing to thoroughly verify Bakashaba’s complete academic history with UNEB, arguing that the commission only vetted his UCE and UACE documents.
"It should have raised eyebrows how a person aged over 50 years was completing Primary Seven in 2011. The EC slept on the job and allowed Bakashaba to fraudulently contest. It is a national concern to have an MP who never properly went through the school system," Munguriek added.
Previous fraud allegations
Lawyer Abel Kandiho asked the judge not to take the matter lightly, alleging that Bakashaba has a history of using questionable papers. He claimed that Bakashaba used forged documents to secure employment at UCAA, where he worked from 2006 to 2019.
"We are dealing with a pattern of fraudulent endorsements. It is on record that in 2006, Bakashaba secured employment at UCAA using a UCE certificate from Mbarara High School. This court has the duty to inquire into these clear elements of fraud," Kandiho stated.
Justice Chemtai declined to dismiss the case after the petitioner’s side argued the seriousness of the fraud allegations, prompting the defence team to withdraw its initial request. The judge subsequently adjourned the petition to September 29, 2026, for formal cross-examination.
Speaking to the media on Monday after the court adjourned, Bakashaba, who maintained in his affidavit that he is not the individual from Mushasha Primary School, insisted that he possesses all valid documents and will vindicate himself in court.