Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman, Wafula Chebukati, has dismissed a letter by the Commission for University Education (CUE) officially revoking the recognition of Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja's degree.
The IEBC Chairperson on Friday, July 1, argued that the matter, revolving around the academic certificate issued by Team University, Uganda was resolved by the disputes tribunal.
He also stated that the commission intended to proceed with poll preparations, a few hours after Justice Anthony Mrima allowed the IEBC to continue with the printing of the ballot papers.
On Thursday, CUE wrote to the IEBC indicating that it had received information implying that the Nairobi gubernatorial hopeful was never admitted to the Kampala-based university.
"That in Sakaja Johnson Arthur's official declaration in 2017, while vying for the position of Senator, he indicated that the only higher education qualification he held was a degree from the University of Nairobi. There was no declaration made pertaining to Team University, from which he now states that he had obtained a degree in 2016."
"The University of Nairobi has since written to the Commission, confirming that whereas he enrolled for a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science in 2003, he did not complete his studies," the letter read.
CUE made it clear that it is not responsible for the validity of a certificate or the identity of a certificate holder who submitted a document for recognition and/or evaluation.
It underlined that it reserves the right to rescind such recognition of a degree certificate.
"The Commission retains the right to revoke recognition of the award in the event that it establishes any reason that makes the award in question ineligible for recognition and/or equation."
"Based on these findings, and in compliance with the provisions of Section 5 of The Universities Act, 2012, Part XI of The Universities Regulations, 2014, The Universities Standards and Guidelines, 2014 and the Standards for Recognition and Equation of Qualifications and granted the disclaimer in the certificate of recognition issued, the Commission has come to the inescapable decision that the purported degree certificate of Bachelor of Science in Management (External) is ineligible for recognition."
"Given that steps have ready been taken for an expedited hearing for this matter, hence the order shall not be issued at this point," the judge ruled.
It has also emerged that a news publication in Uganda interviewed students who went to Team University during the same time Sakaja was purported to be at the institution and they denied being his classmates.
