Busiro South MP Peter Sematimba on Monday joined 104,481 candidates to sit this year’s Advanced Level national exams.
Mr Sematimba, whose academic credentials have been a subject of a court petition, is said to be sitting the exams in Luweero District at an undisclosed school.
Speaking in an interview on Monday evening, the legislator said whereas he possesses genuine academic papers obtained from the United States of America, he is tired of being sued over papers and this is why he decided to go back to earn the UACE that Ugandans understand.
“When I was contesting in Busiro South, I was frustrated because of this certificate. My papers were from America and I was certified by the National Council of Higher Education but I decided to go back and achieve this senior six certificate that many Ugandans understand,” he said.
In June 2016, Justice Lydia Mugambe kicked Mr Semantimba out of Parliament over lack of the required academic credentials. Justice Mugambe in her ruling faulted the National Council of Higher Education (NICHE) for avoiding to independently verify the authenticity and validity of Mr Sematimba’s Diploma in Electrical and Computer Technology, said to have been obtained from the Pacific Coast Technical Institute based in the US.
However, on September 18, 2017, the Court Of Appeal nullified the High Court ruling and reinstated Sematimba as the elected legislator for Busiro South constituency. UACE exams commenced on November 11, 2019, and will run until December 2.
