NAIROBI, Kenya, June 20 – The Commission for University Education (CUE) has urged Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Johnson Sakaja to honor its invitation to appear before it to provide proof that he indeed has a degree warning that nothing will curtail its efforts to fulfill its mandate.
This is after the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) gubernatorial aspirant failed to honor its summons while claiming that he never received any formal invitation.
“Any other method that he wants to apply will not stop us from fulfilling our mandate as per provided for by the law,” noted CUE Chairman Chacha Nyaigotti.
Nyaigotti asserted that they are the only recognised institution with the mandate to certify foreign degrees before the UDA Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant is cleared.
CUE castigated Sakaja for lying to the public that he wasn’t formally invited to appear before the commission to present a statutory of document to aid in investigation of his Bachelor of Management degree obtained in Team University, Uganda.
“We wish to inform the public that our communication to Hon Sakaja was formally delivered to him through various communication methods including WhatsApp messages, phone calls, text messages, formal delivery of the letter which was received and duly signed for at the Senate offices in Nairobi,” Nyaigotti stated.
The CUE reiterated that the revocation of the recognition of Sakaja’s degree still stands despite IEBC dispute resolution committee upholding his nomination clearance.
“The commission wants to reiterate that the revocation of the recognition of his purported degree still stands,” CUE chair said.
Sakaja secured a lifeline in his bid to ascend to City Hall after Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) dismissed a case against his clearance.
The IEBC Disputes Resolution Committee cited lack of jurisdiction to probe his academic credentials as the Commission on University Education had already validated his degree.
“The returning officer is not obliged to ascertain validity of a degree while clearing a candidate. The IEBC Dispute Resolution Committee has no jurisdiction to authenticate academic credentials,” read the ruling delivered on Sunday.
The committee also argued that the petitioner filed the petition outside the set timelines as the Returning Officer had already cleared the candidate.
Sakaja attached his degree certificate from Team University and a letter from the Executive Director informing that he enrolled for a Bachelor of Science in Management as a student on Distance Learning and graduated on October 21, 2016.
IEBC made the decision even as the CUE Chairperson requested Sakaja to submit a student ID, application letter to join the university, transcripts and a graduation booklet among a set of other requirements on Monday, June 20 at 10:00 am.
Nyaigotti maintained that the academic credentials of the senator remain revoked dismissing validation by CUE Chief Executive Officer Prof. Mwenda Ntarangwi.
