United Democratic Alliance’s Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant Johnson Sakaja has suffered a major setback after the Commission for University Education (CUE) revoked recognition of his Ugandan degree citing new evidence.
CUE revoked the recognition of Sakaja’s degree from Team University following protracted battles on its authenticity.
The Commission stated that it had received information on the authenticity of the degree certificate.
“The Commission for University Education has received material information about the authenticity of the degree you presented from Team University that will require further investigation to ascertain the validity of the said the degree,” read the Commission’s letter to Sakaja.
“Consequently, in accordance with the CUE’s recognition procedures, we hereby revoke the recognition of your degree – Bachelor of Science in Management (External) from the aforementioned university.”
Sakaja is expected to argue his case today before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Disputes Resolution Committee.
This was after the University of Nairobi stoked further controversy yesterday indicating on its website that the Senator had graduated only to a later delete his entry on its “Notable Alumni” page.
The university also embedded Sakaja’s photo in the post.
The senator was also a Bachelor of Actuarial Science student at the University of Nairobi but it’s not clear whether he completed the course. He joined the university in 2003.
The revocation comes barely a day after a lobby group wrote to the Ugandan Minister for Education, Janet Museveni, to compel Team University to produce Sakaja’s admission letter, details of payment of school fees, and evidence that he attended classes.
Sakaja alleges that he graduated in October 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Management Degree from Kampala-based university, Team.
In a letter dated June 14, to Janet who is also President Yoweri Museveni’s wife, Youth Advocacy Africa says that the certificate held by Sakaja was unlawfully issued.
“The degree awarded to Sakaja is not honorary but an academic degree purportedly awarded after successful completion of coursework and other instructions for the award of the same,” the advocacy group said in the letter dated June 14.
“From the available Immigration services information in Kenya, Sakaja has only travelled to Uganda once, which was on October 17, 2014, and the visit was for parliamentary business, not for educational purposes,” the group said.
Through Lawyer Waithaka Ngaruiya, the lobby group further warned Team University to provide a detailed explanation of the contradictions surrounding Sakaja’s papers.
