As the saying goes, ‘what goes around comes around,’ and it seems Moses Batwala, the incumbent Jinja district LC5 chairman, is now facing the music over allegations of academic forgery.
Despite clinching another five-year term in the January 22 Local Government elections, a section of the population is determined to block his swearing-in, citing questionable academic papers presented about 10 years ago.
The controversy surrounding Batwala’s academic credentials which has been simmering for months has now sparked a heated debate about accountability and leadership in the district.
According to the Local Government Act, a person shall not qualify for election as the chairperson of a district or city unless he has completed a minimum of A level or its equivalent.
Additionally, the Act requires that the vice chairperson shall be a person who qualifies to be a district chairperson, meaning they must meet the same qualifications as the chairperson.
Citizens are raising questions about Moses Batwala’s past academic credentials, specifically the papers he presented in 2006 to secure his appointment as Vice Chairperson and those he submitted in 2016 to contest for the LC5 chairperson seat, which Titus Kisambira won, before appointing him as his Vice.
The authenticity of these documents is under scrutiny and many are demanding clarity on Batwala’s eligibility to hold public office.
Batwala’s eligibility to serve as chairperson is now being questioned, given that he sat for his Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) in 2017 and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) in 2019.
A concerned citizen and voter, Paul Mukova, has lodged a formal complaint and a General Enquiry File (GEF)20-08-2025 was opened at the Buwenge Police Station.
Reports say Batwala has snubbed recording a statement at Buwenge Police Station and instead threatened to cause the transfer of any police officer who tries to ‘disturb his peace’ through what he calls a ‘bogus case.’
“…Investigations commenced but to date, no action was taken until a complaint was lodged to the chief State Attorney, the purpose of this letter to you therefore, is to formally lodge another complaint and seek for your immediate intervention since the police at Buwenge seems to have been compromised…”, writes Mukova’s attorney.
The DPP’s office has now stepped in, and Batwala will be summoned anytime soon this week, according to impeccable sources.
“…The regional DPP has called for the above referenced case file…urgently forward the file for onward submission to him to enable him handle the complaint…” reads a letter to the OC CID Buwenge Police Station.
The one-page letter dated 10th December 2025 was signed by Caroline Marion Acio the Resident Chief State Attorney.
Former Jinja District Chairman, Lt. Hannington Basekana, has shed light on the circumstances surrounding Batwala’s appointment as Vice Chairperson in 2006.
Basekana revealed that Batwala did present some A-level papers during the appointment process, but he did not scrutinize the details. “…I was a loner in the Council, and it was full of wars, I did not want to wake every kind of battle, so I focused more on what I was chiefly elected for – monitoring service delivery.”
Basekana likened the situation to a person with a minor ailment like ringworm, who chooses to live with it opting to seek treatment for more pressing issues that require surgery.
Interestingly, Basekana revealed that the councilors’ approval of Batwala’s appointment was not based on a thorough scrutiny of his papers, but rather a result of their disdain for Basekana himself.
“…Majority of councilors were against me as the chairman, having beaten former chairman Frederick Ngobi Gume (who embarrassingly lost an election to his aging former teacher), none of them bothered to question Batwala’s papers, and his appointment as Vice Chairperson was unanimously approved in a matter of minutes…”he said.
The question on everyone’s mind is: what academic documents did Moses Batwala possess and use in the previous elections? Will he release or display the papers to clear the air? Batwala has consistently dismissed the allegation, saying, “…the most important thing is that I have valid and genuine papers after doing fresh examinations, so whoever is running around is either idle and jobless or desperate and frustrated…”
The purpose of the complaint to the DPP’s office is to “…seek for your intervention to interest yourself in the complaint by causing an investigation into the genuineness of the academic documents and qualifications of Batwala Moses between 2006-2016 in order to determine his eligibility to serve in the office of the chairperson Jinja district Local Government…” reads in part the complaint.
As the investigation unfolds, many are left wondering how such anomalies were allowed to occur in the first place.
The controversy surrounding Moses Batwala’s academic credentials is not an isolated case in Uganda’s history.
Several political leaders have faced similar allegations, and some have even lost their positions as a result.
The cases of Muhammad Ssegirinya, Gertrude Nakabira, Matthias Kasamba, and Muyanja Mbabaali serve as a reminder that academic integrity is a fundamental requirement for public office.
As the investigation into Batwala’s academic credentials continues, many are left wondering whether he will be able to weather the storm or if his past will ultimately be his downfall.
While Batwala has dismissed the allegations as a witch hunt by powerful NRM chaps, the only way to clear the air is for him to come out clear and provide evidence of his academic credentials.
Until then, the question on everyone’s mind will remain: what academic documents did Moses Batwala possess and use in the previous elections? Will he release or display the papers to clear the air, or will he continue to hide behind claims of a conspiracy? Only time will tell.
The Exposure Uganda (TEU), a revolutionary digital news platform will continue to follow up on this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.
