IEBC: Aspirants for All Political Seats Must Have a University Degree to Vie in 2022
Kenyans without university degrees are set to be barred from running for political positions in the 2022 General Election.
On Monday, IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati said Section 22 of the Election Act, which requires aspirants for the six elective seats to be degree holders, will take effect next year.
The amended section of the act was set to be implemented in 2017 but was postponed to 2022 to allow candidates eying MP and MCA positions to acquire the required academic qualifications.
"We follow the law and the Election Act clearly state that all candidate in the six elective positions must have a university degree to able to qualify to run for office," said Chebukati.
Chebukati, who spoke during the launch of IEBC Annual Voter Education Week at Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi, said the commission will collaborate with professional bodies to deal with cases of fake academic papers ahead of next year’s elections.
"We are in a country where cases of fake degree certificates are common and we have engagements with Kenya National Qualifications Authority and the Commission for University Education to verify academic certifications," he added.
He said political contenders’ academic documents will be subjected to authentication before they are presented by the candidates to IEBC.
In the 2017 election, only presidential candidates and running mates as well as governors and their running mates were required to have degrees.
Some current MPs and MCAs who do not hold university degrees risk being barred from defending their seats.
Last year, County Assemblies Forum chairman Ndegwa Wahome vowed to opposed the implementation of the law.
“We have taken a very firm position that the sovereignty and power to elect belongs to the people under Article 1 of the Constitution. We have said section 22 of the Election Act is subsidiary to Article 1,” said Wahome.
Comments
Well hopefully ur able to…
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Well hopefully ur able to stop raila ondinga who have fake degree from Germany.We know the guy did certificate in Lab n welding.To add on that thou I have few degrees I think people should b left to make a choice who their leader is the way first world countries do??We have bin lead by mpigs/gavanas who have phds but is our country any beta?Has it moved forward or behind??Our so called thugs leaders join together to add theme selves salAries righ n left,they get bribed in the toilets with 10,000 ksh?They don’t pay taxes??They drive v8 cars n r guarded by many policemen from our taxes??They don’t pass proper laws which can help the common mwananchi??Yes and 99% have stupid dammm bullshit degrees?????Sonko did lots in nairobi as a gavana compared with mwizi kidero who have stupid Phd???We need to b given that choice to make our choice who can lead us??Degree is just stupid paper n doesn’t qualify you as a good leader???
@Halisi I agree with you…
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In reply to Well hopefully ur able to… by Mkenya halisi (not verified)
@Halisi I agree with you. This degree requirement is a major limitation to democracy and does not add food on the table of common Mwananchi. It is a known fact that "C" students not only run the world but also employ the "A" students. Let the voter decide.
Did a akombe have a…
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Did a akombe have a university degree? She only has stolen PhD papers!
Wow! I didn't know Akombe…
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In reply to Did a akombe have a… by Ciro (not verified)
Wow! I didn't know Akombe Ran or was Running for 2022 political position.
She has been talking about…
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In reply to Wow! I didn't know Akombe… by BBIbbi (not verified)
She has been talking about it! Her gods are extremely nuts to to even entertain such a thought for a country she betrayed to the core.
I agree with you @ Mkenya…
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I agree with you @ Mkenya Halisi. People should be free to chose whomever they want.That's how democracy works.It is the people who should be educated on whom to choose. Did Dr.Kidero serve any better than Sonko?
I would rather elect a primary school teacher whose character is impeccable ,and integrity unmatched.
College or university degrees only tell us that a candidate is scholarly.But nothing about his character or leadership quality.
If we keep going down on this path, next it will come down to what kind of degree,and from what institution.Yes Let the people choose.After all they are they ones who will pay for the wrong choice.
Rubbish!!!
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Rubbish!!!
@ Iam not sure if that …
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In reply to Rubbish!!! by BBIbbi (not verified)
@ Iam not sure if that "Rubbish!!!" applies to what I have said.I hope not because alot of people seem to agree with what Mkenya Halisi has said,and Iam only one of them.
If you dont agree with the comments all you have to do is point out where the "Rubbish "is.You probably better ideas.Let's see them.
Degrees mean nothing. Wisdom…
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Degrees mean nothing. Wisdom and degrees are two different things. How about we demand that those with degrees represent only those who have degrees.
Are we saying in Kenya that those without those foreign stupid papers will not be represented? How about we translate everything to local languages and have people choose whomever they want. We do not want stammerers coming to stammer infront of the common mwananchi in a foreign language with no understanding of what they are talking about.
The government can make its demand and the mwananchi will make another. That no one will represent us if they cannot speak in local languages.
The colonial systems are fading. They are trying to hold on to a slippery slop in God's country!!
Even a killer like Ruto got…
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In reply to Degrees mean nothing. Wisdom… by Karia ka hungu (not verified)
Even a killer like Ruto got a stolen PhD.
Not a mark of intelligence…
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Not a mark of intelligence or better leadership. Post immediate independence leaders were generally less corrupt and more eloquent than today's learned and miseducated politicians. Education means acquiring desirable skills, knowledge and behavior. An educated person being corrupt is a huge oxymoron
then let us make access to…
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then let us make access to education equal for both poor and rich, this requirements ignores the fact that many smart kids are unable to get to college while rich kids dont have this limitation. The cumulative effect of this requirement is elites dominating all the spheres of our lives
Your argument makes a lot of…
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In reply to then let us make access to… by Hiti_Bwe (not verified)
Your argument makes a lot of sense. I believe that's where the gist of all this lies.
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