Sakaja's candidature hangs in balance as CUE revokes recognition of degree
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja’s woes deepened Wednesday after the Commission for University Education (CUE) revoked its earlier recognition of a degree from a Ugandan university that he presented for clearance to run for Nairobi County governor.
In the letter signed by CUE chair Prof Chacha Nyaigotti-Chacha and addressed to the senator, the commission informed Mr Sakaja that it would need to investigate the authenticity of his degree.
Mr Sakaja presented a Bachelor of Science in Management (External) degree certificate from Team University in Uganda.
Earlier, CUE had cleared him after verification from Ugandan authorities that the university is recognised.
Team University
“CUE has, however, 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 degree,” Prof Nyaigotti-Chacha says in the letter.
“Consequently, in accordance to (sic) the CUE recognition procedures, we hereby revoke the recognition of your degree from the aforementioned university,” the letter further reads.
The chair told Nation that the matter was now under investigation by a multi-agency team because “there have arisen many other concerns that are not academic but criminal in nature”.
Prof Nyaigotti-Chacha said that the commission reserves the right to revoke the degree until the matter is fully investigated.
“It is no longer valid until we are satisfied with these other matters. For the time being, the document is not recognised,” he told Nation.
On Tuesday, the University of Nairobi dropped the senator’s name from its list of ‘Notable Alumni’ after the Nation pointed out that Mr Sakaja had been listed as having graduated from the university with a degree in Actuarial Science, a course he registered for but never completed.
Following the withdrawal of CUE’s recognition, the ball is now in the IEBC’s court since a gubernatorial candidate requires a degree certificate which has to be certified by the CUE.
