Lawyer petitions EC over Museveni's academic papers

COURT|POLITICS|ACADEMIC DOCUMENTS

KAMPALA - A Kampala-based lawyer, Muwada Nkunyingi, has petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC) seeking to be furnished with President Yoweri Museveni's academic documents.

Muwada said he had petitioned the EC in accordance with the Access to Information Act and the relevant regulations of 1995 Constitution. He reportedly presented his petition to EC headquarters in Kampala on Monday.

Muwada also said he had already paid sh20,000 to the bank to enable him access the documents. He said the EC must have a copy of the academic documents of an aspirant and they can be accessed by anyone as long as you follow the regulations required by the law.

"I have petitioned the EC for Museveni's academic documents that he used in the 2016 elections before or after he was nominated as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag-bearer," he said.

He added that according to the Presidential Act of 2005 and the Constitution, a person who has been nominated as a presidential candidate must hold and possess a minimum statutory and formal academic qualification or that equivalent to Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), he said.

He said it is public knowledge that Museveni came to power through a revolution before the promulgation of the 1995 Constitution.

"Museveni was never vetted when he claimed power in 1986. I am doubtful if the EC has ever vetted his academic documents," Muwada said.

EC's senior public relation's officer Paul Bukenya said Museveni's documents are public.

"I have not seen documents that Muwada claims to have brought to the EC demanding to see President Museveni's academic documents. Those are public documents that can be accessed by everyone, especially after the nominations of the candidates," Bukenya said.

Museveni's lawyer Kiryowa Kiwanuka said he had not seen the petition.

"We do not know what the petition is about until we are served. We have not received any instructions either," he said.

Between the lines

Last week, another lawyer, Hassan Male Mabirizi, petitioned the EC to allow him to see all documents presented by Kyadondo East MP and NUP party president Robert Kyagulanyi in the 2017 Kyadondo East byelection.