New details have emerged in the election petition filed by Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari, the Member of Parliament for Mbarara City North, challenging the academic qualifications of MP-elect Christopher Bakashaba.
The petition raises questions about the authenticity of documents allegedly used by Bakashaba during his nomination in the 2026 Ugandan General Elections.
According to the petition, Bakashaba may have used Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results that do not belong to him when registering for the electoral process.
“He Never Studied Here!” School Denies Mbarara City North MP-Elect Was Their Student as Election Petition Intensifies pic.twitter.com/IVpWwGpYeI
— The Ankole Times (@TheAnkoleTimes) March 21, 2026
School Authorities Speak Out
The controversy intensified after comments from Robert Bwengye, the Deputy Head Teacher of Mushasha Primary School in Buhweju District.
Bwengye said the school recently became aware of claims that the MP-elect used academic documents belonging to a former pupil who completed Primary Seven at the school in 2011.
“A few weeks ago, I heard about the case that the MP-elect for Mbarara City North used documents belonging to our former student who studied and completed P7 at our school in 2011,” Bwengye said.
He added that, according to school records, Christopher Bakashaba was never a student at Mushasha Primary School and did not sit his Primary Leaving Examination there in 2011.
Petition Challenges Legitimacy of Documents
In his petition, Rukaari is questioning the authenticity of the academic documents that Bakashaba allegedly presented during his registration and nomination as a parliamentary candidate.
The petition suggests the documents may not genuinely belong to Bakashaba, raising concerns about possible identity misappropriation during the electoral process.
The case is now expected to be examined by the relevant authorities as part of the ongoing election petition process.
If proven, the allegations could have serious implications for the validity of Bakashaba’s election as the representative for Mbarara City North.
