Court of Appeal Judge Disqualifies Herself From Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho's Case

The case filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions challenging Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho's academic papers has taken a new twist after a Court of Appeal disqualified herself from hearing the case.

Judge Wanjiru Karanja recused herself during the hearing on Monday leading to the adjournment of the case.

Following her disqualification, the remaining judges Justices Alnashir Visram and Martha Koome directed the DPP and Governor Joho's lawyers to take another date for hearing the appeal at the registry.

The DPP escalated the case to the Court of appeal after a Mombasa High Court threw out the case against the Mombasa Governor where he was accused of forging his academic papers.

[caption caption="Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho"][/caption]

High Court Judge Eric Ogola made the ruling which shielded Governor Joho from being investigated, arrested or prosecuted over the academic papers saga.

The Judge questioned the timing of the investigation considering a similar matter against Joho in 2013.

"Joho's rights were violated, abused and breached," Judge Ogola stated.

In May 2017, the Governor moved to court to block his prosecution following investigations by KNEC and DCI over allegations that he had forged a KCSE result slip to pursue a degree course at the University of Nairobi (UoN).

Governor Joho stated that the claims were part of a continuous war by the Jubilee administration against him.

The ODM Deputy Party leader was accused of having two certificates stating that he sat for his KCSE exam at Serani Secondary School in 1992 and 1993. 

The 1992 certificate indicated that Joho had attained a mean grade of D- (minus) which cannot qualify him to join any university in Kenya.

[caption caption="Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho"][/caption]

On the other hand, the 1993 certificate showed he attained a mean grade C+ (plus) which he used to successfully apply for admission to the University of Nairobi.

Joho later declared that he scored a D minus in his KCSE exams. He accused KNEC of forging the certificate bearing the grade C- grade.

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