By Our Reporter
NTUNGAMO
As Uganda grapples with a wave of academic dishonesty among public figures, a new name enters the spotlight: Godwin Atwine, a former UPDF soldier turned political aspirant for Kajara County. Allegations are swirling that Atwine has been falsely parading himself in the village as a PhD holder, a claim now under scrutiny as part of a growing “Wall of Shame” campaign.
Unlike Captain Mike Mukula, whose debunked “Harvard fellowship” drew viral satire, earning him the label “Harvard falla, not fellow”, Atwine’s case may go beyond embellishment into outright misrepresentation.
According to credible sources, Atwine has only recently submitted a PhD proposal to Bishop Stuart University, yet is already publicly using the doctoral title. A copy of his proposal, along with the names of his supervisors, is in the possession of watchdogs, who warn they will publish it if Atwine disputes the facts.
“He parades in the village as a PhD, and the villagers have no idea he is not,” said Human Rights Lawyer, Nicholas Opiyo.
“This isn’t about compliance anymore. It’s about honesty,” one campaign insider noted. “Villagers don’t know the difference between a proposal and a PhD, and that’s exactly what Atwine is banking on,” an anonymous source told this publication.
The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has been called upon to enforce its guidelines, particularly as the number of academic fraud cases among politicians appears to be on the rise. Attention is also turning to the NRM, the ruling party under which Atwine is seeking nomination. The party’s Electoral Commission chair, Dr. Tanga Odoi, himself a legitimate PhD holder, is being urged to intervene.
“Those who have genuinely earned their doctorates deserve better,” Lawyer Opiyo urged. “Let us not cheapen the sweat and scholarship of authentic academics.”
“Let’s do the honorable thing and avoid demeaning the works of those who have worked so hard to acquire the titles.”
As the general elections draw close to the eyeshot, concerns are mounting over a possible surge in academic forgery among political aspirants, particularly the misuse of the prestigious “Dr.” title by those who haven’t earned it. The Electoral Commission, UNEB and other relevant authorities have been put on high alert against academic imposters. However, Watchdogs running the fake PhD campaigns and wall of shame maintain that the era of academic imposters may soon meet its reckoning.
