Two members of parliament, belonging to the ruling National Resistance Movement, NRM have been kicked out of the 10th Parliament due to lack of requisite academic papers.
The two are Peter Ssematimba of Busiro south constituency and Lugazi Municipality MP Isaac Mulindwa Ssozi. Ssematimba was thrown out of parliament on Friday, while Ssozi lost his seat on Monday.
According to High Court Judge Lydia Mugambe, the NCHE erratically issued Sematimba with the certificate of Equivalence that he presented to Electoral Commission during parliamentary nominations.
The court ordered fresh election for Busiro South.
On the other hand, Ssozi was kicked out of parliament on Monday morning by Justice Margaret Mutonyi.
According to Justice Mutonyi, Mulindwa lacks a Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) certificate and does not possess a national identity card to prove that he is a Ugandan citizen.
Court also ordered Electoral Commission to conduct fresh elections.
Now, the ruling National resistance movement, NRM electoral commission Chairman Dr. Odoi Tanga says court has no right to throw the duo out of parliament without the mandate of the national council for higher education.
Appearing on local TV station NBS this morning, Dr. Odoi said their members, were vetted by the credible NCHE and found eligible for the positions.
“If Ssematimba got clearance from the National council for education I know, he must have been thoroughly vetted, the papers must have been thoroughly scrutinized. If that university exists, they must have gone there,” says Odoi.
He added that the NHCE is mandated by law to determine what is equivalent to what. “It is the one which will say, what is the word equivalent? Equivalent is a measure of one paper against the other.”
