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Current Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has been embroiled in an academic qualification debacle as he seeks to be the fourth governor of Nairobi County. Despite being cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on 6th June to vie for the seat, a lobby group known as Youth Advocacy Africa opposes the validity of his academic credentials.
In a statement to newsrooms the lobby group indicated that, through their lawyer Waithaka Ngaruiya, they had written to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) asking them to investigate the authenticity of Sakaja’s degree. They also wrote a letter to Uganda’s First Lady Janet Museveni who is the Minister for Education in Uganda seeking clarification on Sakaja’s Team University’s degree in Bachelor of Science in Management.
The lobby group has noted that Sakaja’s only documented trip to Uganda was in 2014 when he went on a parliamentary assignment. They, therefore, demanded documentation supporting his well-earned degree which is not honorary to be produced.
“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,” YAA’s letter stated.
Consequently they want letters of admission, school fees payment receipts, proof of class attendance, published. Since Sakaja’s name was omitted from the list of Bachelor’s degree in Management in October 2016, they want an explanation.
The little known lobby group’s petition has yet to be quashed or responded to. However the Nairobi senator continues to stand firmly behind the validity of his academic qualifications. He states that a page that contained his name in the graduands’ list was omitted.
YAA firmly believes that Sakaja was fraudulently awarded the degree and they have threatened to take action if their concerns are not adequately addressed within three days.
“Sakaja was attempting to procure fraudulent degrees from Ugandan Universities but many were steadfast that they would not print a fake degree certificate for him. Take notice that failure to provide the information demanded hereinabove within three (3) days of receipt of this letter, our instructions are to institute both civil and criminal proceedings against all the officers responsible for the fraudulent issuance of the Degree Certificate and the transcripts to Mr. Sakaja,” read the letter.
The senator’s woes began when four petitioners known as Dennis Gakuo, Evans Kaita, Timothy Aiyeko and Alex Musalia went to IEBC’s Dispute Resolution Committee to demand the revocation of Sakaja’s candidature because of his alleged questionable academic credentials. In order for you to be a governor you must have graduated with a bachelor’s degree.
His problems deepened when the Commission for University Education in Kenya revoked his degree from Team University. However, as of now, Sakaja can breathe a temporary sigh of relief after both the IEBC dismissed CUE’s revocation. Additionally, the High Court temporarily barred IEBC from dismissing Sakaja’s candidature pending hearing and determination of his case.
