Former Makerere VC challenges Gen Rwashande’s first class degree

Professor Venansius Baryamureeba, the former Vice Chancellor of Makerere University has come out to publicly question the legitimacy of a First Class degree awarded to Retired Brigadier General Emmanuel Rwashande by Nkumba University.

Baryamureeba, a former presidential candidate and founder of UTAMU University took to social media to cast doubt on the General's academic achievement. 

General Rwashande was over the weekend conferred with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy with first-class honours at Nkumba University’s 27th graduation ceremony.

The milestone was seen as a triumph to his supporters, having months ago been embroiled in an academic storm during the NRM party primaries, where his papers were questioned by his contender, Theodore Ssekikubo

Prof Baryamureeba however, doubts Rwashande’s first class degree was earned on merit.

He went as far as offering a substantial financial wager if he can resit the exams and prove him wrong.

“I want to bet that if he (Rwashande) sits for one paper where he has an A and gets an A under a neutral examiner that is not a staff of Bukoba University [sic], I shall contribute Ugx 100M to his campaign,” Baryamureeba posted. 

The General was yet to comment on Baryamureeba’s challenge.

However, during the graduation, he celebrated the degree as a victory of "determination and discipline." 

Upon receiving the honours, he told pressmen that he "read late into the night and never missed any class or coursework."

This latest achievement from Nkumba University was largely seen as a move to silence long-standing questions regarding General Rwashande's educational background. 

The officer had previously been at the centre of an academic storm during the ruling NRM party primaries. 

At that time, the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) was accused of having certified his military training as equivalent to a Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE)—the minimum requirement for university entry.

While his Bachelor's degree from Nkumba now seemingly reinforces his political credentials, Baryamureeba's challenge has reopened the conversation on academic standards and political influence in university awards.