Peter Ssematimba is the validly elected member of parliament for Busiro South, Justices including Steven Kavuma, Catherine Bamugemereire and Cheborion Barishaki have ruled on Monday.
The radio presenter and Pastor made an appeal challenging High Court judge Lydia Mugambe’s ruling when she nullified his February 18 elections on grounds that he lacked the requisite academic qualifications to be a Member of Parliament.
Ssematimba, who had been declared winner by the Electoral Commission nearly lost this victory when fellow candidate, Stephen Sekigozi of DP petitioned court claiming that the former was fraudulently nominated for the seat.
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“There is no evidence that Mr Ssematimba attended Asuza College and obtained the diploma he alleges. It was issued illegally without following the procedures,” Justice Mugabe had ruled at the High Court.
Justice Lydia Mugambe claimed that Ssematimba’s certificate of A-Level equivalence which he used for his nomination for MP was invalid because the National Council of Higher Education did not verify the authenticity of his diploma in Electronic and Computer Technology before giving approving his academic qualifications.
Steven Kavuma, Catherine Bamugemereire and Cheborion Barishaki have said “Justice Mugambe had no right to interfere with NICHE’s work since the certificate of equivalence it issued to Sematimba, was subject to thorough consultation by UNEB.”
The three further noted that Mugambe reluctantly rejected the evidence of Sematimba’s classmates which proved that he indeed studied and obtained a Diploma in Electronic and Computer Techinology from Pacific Coast Techinical Institute in USA, before it closed in 1989.
Defeated petitioner Stephen Sekigozi who disagrees with the final ruling from the trio told reporters out side court room: “I feel pity for all Ugandans taking their children to school when someone can go to Nasser and forge documents.”
“In Uganda’s court, everything is possible. We expected to win this case but someone without academic documents has won.” Sekigozi added.
By Paul Dennis.
