The Vice-Chancellor of Gretsa University, Prof. Kuria Thuo, has spoken out and defended the university’s decision to award Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho a degree despite having a D- grade.
Prof. Thuo stated that the university admitted Joho to study for a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce on the strength of a previous degree awarded to him in Uganda.
According to the VC, Joho was admitted to Gretsa in 2014 to study his second Bachelor's degree in Business Administration after he presented another degree awarded to him by Kampala International University.
He noted that the degree awarded to Joho by in the neighbouring country had been recognised by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
Interestingly, the same year when Joho was admitted to Gretsa University, a controversy had emerged after his Kampala degree was disputed by the Uganda National Council for Higher Education.
This would, however, be dismissed by Kampala University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Badru Kateregga who said that Governor Joho had earned his degree legitimately after studying at the institution from 2009 to 2012.
The Gretsa VC could, however, not comment on the debacle facing the embattled Governor, highlighting that the issue was still being investigated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
After secondary school, Joho was presumably admitted to the University of Nairobi’s Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) programme.
He is then reported to have transferred credits to Kampala International University from which he claims to have graduated.
It, however, remains unclear how he got admitted to Nairobi University to pursue a degree having attained a D- (minus) in KCSE.
On Wednesday, Joho appeared before the Mombasa DCI to record a statement over claims that he forged his KCSE results slip.
He denied the allegations and distanced himself from a 1992 document that was allegedly a forgery and revealed that he scored a Grade D- in KCSE in 1993 at Serani Secondary.
The Governor was accompanied by hundreds of supporters and other leaders including Siaya Senator James Orengo and Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi.
