James Atwiine Nkizimagara, a former parliamentary aspirant for Isingiro North on Monday staged a dramatic protest at UNEB offices on Monday morning, chaining himself to the institution’s gate.
Nkizimagara, who was disqualified by the Electoral Commission (EC) from the 2026 parliamentary race, claims his Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) documents were illegally invalidated.
The independent candidate, who had intended to challenge incumbent State Minister for Animal Husbandry Bright Rwamirama, says the controversy began after an allegation from Rwamirama’s driver, claiming Nkizimagara never attended school.
UNEB allegedly recalled his documents without contacting him or giving him a fair hearing.
Nkizimagara and his legal team had attempted to resolve the matter for weeks, even obtaining a court order directing UNEB to act. When a hearing was finally convened before the institution’s Security Committee, he was reportedly asked to prove his identity against UNEB records.
“I have lost the parliamentary seat, and that’s okay, all I want is for UNEB to release my documents so I can start afresh,” Nkizimagara said.
He questioned UNEB’s decision to doubt the authenticity of documents it had previously issued and verified, calling the move politically motivated.
“I presented both my National ID and passport to the Security Committee, asking what more UNEB required to confirm that I am indeed the James Atwiine whose academic records they hold,” he angrily said.
He has called on human rights bodies, including the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), to intervene and compel UNEB to release his documents and provide a clear explanation.
