Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Johnson Sakaja has maintained that he will be on the ballot in the August 9 elections.
Sakaja, who is vying on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of intimidating officials at the Commission for University Education (CUE) to revoke his degree.
The one-term Nairobi senator hinted government officials earlier visited Team University in Uganda, where he allegedly graduated with a bachelor’s of science in Management degree to prove his certificate’s authenticity.
“The university has remained firm and refused to be intimidated. So has the Council for Higher Education in Uganda. The only institution that has succumbed to this intimidation is the Kenyan CUE. It is also instructive that the letter by CUE has been written and signed by the chairman on the CEO’s letterhead” Sakaja stated
On Wednesday 15 June 2022, CUE, through a letter, informed the Nairobi senator that it had revoked the recognition of his graduation certificate from the university.
CUE’s chairman Professor Chacha Nyaigoti Chacha said the commission would require further investigation to ascertain the validity of the said degree certificate.
Sakaja further alleged that the Wednesday morning announcement by CUE was a decision by the agency’s chairman who according to him, was under duress.
“A day earlier, the CUE Chief Executive Officer replied to an inquiry by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, affirming the authenticity of my credentials and confirming that I am qualified to run for office.” Added Sakaja contending that he is qualified to run as a governor.
The law makes it mandatory for gubernatorial aspirants to be holders of a degree from a recognized university.
Earlier this week, Nairobi University dropped the name of Senator Johnson Sakaja from its alumni list. He had been listed as having graduated with a degree certificate in Actuarial Science.
The university however said he was and still is a student at the university but he never graduated.
Sakaja’s academic credentials have come under scrutiny since he was cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to vie for the Nairobi governor seat. He will today know his fate as the IEBC tribunal is set to give a ruling on the matter
