Bobi Wine questions Yoweri Museveni’s academic credentials

Ugandan singer and opposition politician Bobi Wine has questioned the academic credentials of President Yoweri Museveni, reigniting a 2016 battle of academic qualifications between the lawmaker and the man who has been in power since 1986.

Wine, 38, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, had written to Uganda’s Electoral Commission (EC) in 2016 casting doubt over President Museveni’s academic documents he presented for purposes of nomination for the Office of President during the 2016 election period, according to the Monitor.

In the letter to the EC, Wine also expressed doubt over Museveni’s suitability as a presidential candidate for the 2016 elections.

However, the country’s electoral body said the academic documents of Museveni as presented in 2016 did not require verification since they were governed under Section 4 (15) of the Presidential Elections Act, 2005.

“For avoidance of doubt, if a candidate has an advanced level certificate obtained in Uganda or qualifications higher than the prescribed qualification obtained in Uganda or obtained from the former University of East Africa or any of its constituent colleges, then, there shall be no need for the verification of his or her qualifications by the National Council for Higher Education,” the acting Secretary of the election management body, Mr Leonard Mulekwah said.

Wine’s latest attack on Museveni’s academic records comes after a lawyer based in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, recently petitioned the EC to make available the academic documents Museveni used to stand for the 2016 presidential elections.

Nkunyingi Muwada, the petitioner, said Museveni ascended to power without being vetted when the National Resistance Army captured power in 1986 adding that having been president since then, the election body could have ignored the prerequisite of asking for his academic documents, according to the Nilepost.

The move comes at a time when another lawyer, Male Mabirizi, requested and was availed with the academic documents Wine, who is also a presidential hopeful.

Wine took to social media to lash out at Uganda’s election body for releasing his academic qualifications while refusing to release that of Museveni. According to him, the move suggested Musevini’s academic qualifications were not genuine.

“The Electoral Commission which took a few days to release my academic documents is now speaking in tongues when it comes to Gen. Museveni’s documents. The Emperor is naked,” Bobi Wine posted on his social media platforms.

Mabirizi has accused Wine of age cheating, an electoral offence which could be unjustifiably used to disqualify him.

In his petition to the EC, Mabirizi contends that there is no way Wine who claims to be 38 years old could have finished his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) in 1998.

The UACE is the minimum requirement for one to run for president, according to Uganda’s electoral laws.

“I should not be blamed for always being extraordinary. People who I went to school with know that I did not study all classes. For instance, I did Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) when I was in Primary Six and I passed to enter Senior One,” Bobi Wine responded.