IEBC Panel Orders Senator Sakaja to Provide Evidence on His University Degree

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Dispute Resolution Committee gave Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja until Monday noon to provide evidence against claims that he lacks the required academic qualifications to run for the Nairobi governor’s seat.

On Sunday, the committee consolidated the four complaints filed against Sakaja’s nomination and announced they will be heard together on Wednesday. 

"The substantive complaints in all the files will be heard on 15th of June 2022 at 2:00 pm, the registry to facilitate the furnishing of all the complaints to all the parties at the parties’ costs,” T.T Tiego, the committee’s chairperson ordered.

The four petitioners, Dennis Gakuo, Evans Kaita, Timothy Ayieko and Alex Musalia have raised issues regarding Senator Sakaja’s academic qualifications, which they claim could have been acquired fraudulently. This relates to his degree certificate from Team University in Uganda. 

The University of Nairobi (UoN), from where Sakaja claims to have graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science, confirmed that the legislator has not yet cleared from the institution.

UoN's communications director John Orindi told Sunday Nation that the first-time senator was admitted to the institution on a module two programme in 2003.

“It is true Sakaja was admitted to the university and was pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science, studied from first year up to fourth year, but is yet to graduate. The university earlier issued a statement... and was clear that the person in question did not complete his studies,” Orindi said.

Sakaja, who is eyeing the Nairobi gubernatorial seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket, has dismissed the allegations leveled against him, terming them as propaganda.

"Next they will say that I wasn't born. Forget propaganda; sell your candidate. Our march is unstoppable, our faith is unshakeable and our victory is inevitable," Sakaja said in a recent interview.