Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has admitted that he did not complete his studies at the University of Nairobi due to a lack of funds.
In an interview with a local radio station, Sakaja claimed that he dropped out of the University of Nairobi to concentrate on other issues since he couldn’t afford the tuition.
“There is a document being shared that shows it was the issue of fees. There were a few units I did not complete but the ceremony of graduation is not what confers the knowledge to you,” he said.
He mentioned that he would eventually return to the University of Nairobi to complete his coursework.
“By the time I was able to afford the fee, I was too embarrassed and shy to go back to class. But that is something I will be able to go back and finish. About two or three units. There is no law that says you must bring a degree from UoN,” he said.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) yesterday revoked Sakaja’s degree from TEAM University based in Uganda.
In a letter to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), CUE stated that the governor candidate had not provided any evidence as of the conclusion of inquiries into the validity of the degree.
“Based on these findings and in compliance with the ongoing provisions of sections of The Universities Act, 2012, Party XI of The Universities Regulations 2014, The Universities Standards and Guidelines, 2014, and the Standards for recognition and Equation of qualifications and granted the disclaimer in the certificate of recognition issued,” the letter noted.
This decision has been communicated to Sakaja and he has the right to appeal.
“The Commission has come to the inescapable decision that the purported degree certificate of Bachelor of Science in Management (External) is ineligible for recognition,” the letter states.
At the conclusion of the investigation, CUE claimed that neither Team’s University nor Sakaja himself had provided any proof that he had been pursuing a degree.
“Failure to submit even the most basic evidence of study and the process of earning a degree inevitably renders the degree certificate submitted insufficient to prove that Sakaja studied either physically or through distance learning and that he holds an academic degree,” they stated.