KAMPALA.
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has said it will not release certified academic certificates for a Mawogola North parliamentary candidate Aine Godfrey Kaguta Sodo.
In a letter dated 4 November 2025, UNEB told lawyers that it does not keep certified copies of PLE, UCE or UACE certificates and therefore cannot provide such documents relating to Sodo, a nominated ruling National Resistance Movement candidate for Member of Parliament.
The clarification comes as lawyers representing Jet Mwebaze, who is also contesting in Mawogola North ,Sembabule District as independent , continue to press the Electoral Commission of Uganda to release academic documents submitted by Kaguta during nomination.
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo explained that examination certificates are issued to the schools where candidates sat their exams, not retained by the Board.
“UNEB is unable to avail certified copies of PLE pass slips, UCE certificates and UACE certificates due to the fact that these documents are issued to the school from which a particular candidate took the relevant examination,” Odongo wrote.
He added, however, that UNEB maintains examination results data and can issue a letter of verification of results confirming a candidate’s performance, where formally requested.
UNEB also made it clear that it plays no role in determining eligibility for elective office.
“UNEB does not have the mandate to determine the admission of students at any level,” the letter states, distancing the Board from disputes over nomination requirements.
The position effectively shifts responsibility back to the Electoral Commission, which is constitutionally mandated to verify nomination documents and ensure candidates meet academic requirements for parliamentary elections.
Despite UNEB’s clarification, a coalition of law firms led by Elgon Advocates and Kampala Associated Advocates wrote again to the Electoral Commission on 6 January 2026, demanding access to certified copies of Kaguta’s academic documents ahead of January 15 General Election .
The lawyers are acting on instructions of Jet Mwebaze, a voter and rival candidate in the race, who argues that transparency over nomination documents is critical for voters in Mawogola North.
The Electoral Commission acknowledged receipt of the lawyers’ correspondence ,but has not publicly stated whether it will release the documents or rely on internal verification.
The legal standoff is unfolding against the backdrop of a tense and highly symbolic contest in Mawogola North.
Kaguta, popularly known as Sodo, is a younger brother of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, a factor that has heightened political interest in the race.
His challenger, Jet Mwebaze, carries his own powerful legacy. He is the son of the late Lt. Col. Jet Mwebaze, a celebrated National Resistance Army (NRA) officer who died in a controversial 1998 plane crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo while on a mission with Uganda People’s Defence Forces officers.
The elder Mwebaze is remembered by many in the constituency as a war hero, a legacy his son has leaned on heavily during the campaign.