KAMPALA. Kampala City lawyer and Mawogola North parliamentary independent candidate John Jet Tumwebaze has petitioned to the Electoral Commission (EC) seeking certified copies of the academic documents of his rival, Godfrey Aine Kaguta commonly known as Sodo.
In a letter dated October 27, 2025, and received by the EC the same day, Tumwebaze, through Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA), requested access to all academic papers that Sodo submitted when he was nominated to contest for the Mawogola North parliamentary seat in Sembabule District.
Tumwebaze stated that his request was made under Article 41 of the Constitution and the Access to Information Act, emphasizing that he needed to confirm whether Sodo met the minimum academic qualifications required for a Member of Parliament as stipulated in Article 80(1)(c) of the Constitution and Sections 41(c) and 30(c) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, Cap 177.
“I would like to satisfy myself that the said Mr. Aine is qualified to be a member of Parliament,” Tumwebaze wrote, adding that he would appreciate it if the Commission expedites the process to allow him to “consider the next legal steps available in the circumstances.”
The EC acknowledged receipt of the letter on October 27, 2025, at 1:54pm, suggesting that the matter has now entered formal consideration.
Sodo previously failed to contest for the Mawogola North parliamentary seat in the 2021 General Election after the Electoral Commission declined to nominate him due to delays in verifying his academic credentials.
Tumwebaze, a criminal lawyer by training, is the son of the late Lt Col. Jet Mwebaze, one of the most renowned National Resistance Army (NRA) commanders who died in a helicopter crash in 1998 while on a mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Lt Col Mwebaze was the brother of the late Maj Gen James Kazini, the former Army Commander.
Tumwebaze’s entry into elective politics has drawn wide attention, not only because of his family’s long military legacy, but also due to his bold challenge against the President’s own brother.
His decision to contest against Sodo in Mawogola North has injected a new dynamic into the 2026 political race in Sembabule District.
Sodo, who has been active in Sembabule politics for years, is the younger brother of President Museveni.
In the 2021 elections, Sodo contested for the same seat but later withdrew in favour of Shartsi Kutesa Musherure, daughter of former Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa, after a tense family standoff.
If the EC grants Tumwebaze’s request, the academic papers could become the basis for a legal challenge to Sodo’s nomination if any discrepancies are found.
The law requires that all parliamentary aspirants hold at least the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) or its equivalent.
Tumwebaze said he was acting within his constitutional right to verify that all candidates meet the legal qualifications for election to Parliament.