By Tension flared at the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) headquarters in Ntinda on Wednesday after James Atwiine, a disqualified parliamentary aspirant, chained himself to the institution’s main gate in protest over the invalidation of his academic papers.
Atwiine, who was contesting as an independent for the Isingiro North constituency seat, accused UNEB and unnamed political actors of conspiring to block his candidacy. The Electoral Commission (EC) last week removed him from the race, citing allegedly forged UCE and UACE certificates.
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Visibly distressed, Atwiine said he would not leave the premises until UNEB returned his academic documents. “I don’t know what they want from me,” he said. “I was disqualified from the race because of the documents. Now they have taken the race; let them give me my documents.”
Atwiine claimed that Agriculture State Minister Bright Rwamirama, the incumbent MP and NRM flag bearer, was using state institutions to edge out opponents. “The Honourable Minister is using them. He wanted no opponent, and now he has achieved it. I want my documents,” he said.
The disgruntled aspirant said he had previously appeared before UNEB for a hearing, during which officials reportedly confirmed that his results existed in their system but needed further identity verification. He said he presented letters from his former headteachers, a NIRA letter, and his national ID, but the Board failed to issue a ruling.
“They are buying time. They are making sure they do injustice to me,” Atwiine told journalists. “Without my documents, I am dead. They have already taken away my rights.”
The protest briefly disrupted operations at UNEB as staff, security officers, and onlookers gathered at the gate. Atwiine vowed to block work from continuing, saying, “They will not work because I am also not working.”
UNEB had not yet issued a public statement on the matter by press time. The Electoral Commission maintains that all candidates must present authentic academic credentials as required by law.
Atwiine, who lost the NRM primaries to Minister Rwamirama, had hoped to challenge him as an independent before the EC disqualification ended his bid.
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