KAMPALA — President Yoweri Museveni has officially changed his names to include a childhood name, Tibuhaburwa.
The president signed a declaration as required by the Registration of Persons Act, to be formally known as Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni.
Though the name has been referred to in different instances over his 35-year rule, he has never used it publicly.
According to the deed poll document dated October 6, Museveni says he was born in September 1944 and named Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta.
However, he claimed that his academic certificates bear the name Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni.
“Since the completion of my education, the names Yoweri Museveni, Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni have been used interchangeably in reference to me,” Museveni states in the sworn document.
Registration of Persons Regulations has placed many politicians and public leaders to rectify distortions in their name order as they risk losing nomination for the 2021 elections.
It is believed the president’s move follows a requirement from the Electoral Commission for the elections candidates to ensure that names on their nomination documents match those on their academic records.
The electoral body announced recently that candidates whose names on the papers submitted are not the same as those on their academic papers will not be nominated.
Other forces
City lawyer, Muwada Nkunyingi who subscribe s to Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform recently petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC) seeking to be furnished with Museveni’s academic documents after learning of potential discrepancies in the president’s academic credentials.
Muwada said he had petitioned the EC in accordance with the Access to Information Act and the relevant regulations of 1995 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission, however, declined to release President Museveni’s academic documents as requested for by lawyer.
The fuss started after lawyer Male Mabirizi asked for Bobi Wine’s academic documents that the election body released before he went to court to contest a disparity in Kyagulanyi’s age and authenticity of his academic documents.
In a statement dated 3rd September 2020, the EC started off with addressing doubts to whether President Museveni’s documents were verified back in 2016.
“Kindly note and be informed that the academic documents for candidate Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as presented in 2016 didn’t require verification since they are governed under section 4 (15) of the Presidential Act, 2005.” Reads part of the statement.
They also said that the said candidate was duly and legally nominated.
“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 tweeted as he commented on the statement.
Social Media has in the past days been awash with posts of people eagerly waiting for the said documents.
