MBARARA NORTH MP BATTLE! Court Trashes Rukaari’s Petition, Bakashaba Wins
Both MP Bakashaba and Former MP Rukaari appearing in Court
KAMPALA – Former Mbarara City North Member of Parliament Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari has suffered a major legal setback after the High Court in Mbarara dismissed his election petition challenging the victory of incumbent MP Christopher Bakashaba.
Rukaari was also slapped with costs after Justice Tom Chemutai upheld Bakashaba’s election as the directly elected Member of Parliament for Mbarara City North in the 2026 general elections.
In a ruling delivered electronically through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) on November 10, 2026, Justice Chemutai dismissed Rukaari’s challenge, finding that Bakashaba was validly nominated and elected.
The former legislator had dragged Bakashaba to court, questioning his academic qualifications and alleging that he had been illegally nominated by the Electoral Commission.
At the centre of the petition was Bakashaba’s Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) qualification and the equivalence documents he presented during nomination.
Rukaari alleged that the documents used to obtain the academic equivalence were forged or fraudulently acquired, arguing that Bakashaba did not satisfy the legal requirements to contest for Parliament.
But the court was not persuaded.
In his findings, Justice Chemutai observed that evidence before court demonstrated that Bakashaba had enrolled at Valley View Secondary School as an adult private candidate and obtained a UCE certificate.
The judge further noted that Bakashaba subsequently used the same qualification to obtain his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) before proceeding to acquire a Diploma in Law.
The court found that the academic documents presented for nomination had not been proved to be forged or fraudulently obtained.
Justice Chemutai further held that Bakashaba possessed academic qualifications higher than the minimum required for nomination as a Member of Parliament.
The court also addressed the procedure Rukaari should have followed in challenging Bakashaba’s academic qualifications.
Justice Chemutai observed that Rukaari ought to have first lodged a complaint with the Electoral Commission and, if dissatisfied with its decision, appealed to the High Court.
The judge further noted that none of the institutions that issued Bakashaba’s academic documents had recalled them or declared them forgeries.
Consequently, the court found that Section 5 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, which Rukaari relied upon, was inapplicable to the circumstances of the case.
Justice Chemutai also found that Bakashaba, the first respondent, had been effectively served with court process.
In the end, the judge concluded that Bakashaba had been validly elected, dismissed the petition and ordered Rukaari to pay costs.
Rukaari previously represented Mbarara City North for one parliamentary term.
Beyond Parliament, he served as a member of the National Resistance Movement’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) in his capacity as Chairman of the NRM Entrepreneurs League.
He also served as Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Morocco.
The latest ruling hands Bakashaba a legal victory and ends Rukaari’s challenge to his election, at least at the High Court level.
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