Nairobi, Kenya, June 21 – Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja says he is cooperating with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) as he seeks to clear his name in the ongoing probe over the authenticity of his university degree certificate.
Sakaja who is eying the Nairobi gubernatorial seat told journalists Monday after spending more than three hours recording his statement, that he also took the DCI to task over an earlier statement from the agency that appeared to suggest that the investigative agency “would not allow certain candidates to contest for different seats” in the upcoming polls.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) gubernatorial candidate reiterated that he holds proper credentials which had been verified by the relevant institutions saying nothing will deter him from going for the county’s top seat.
“We shall cooperate because we are busy and we are focused on our agenda which is to serve the people of Nairobi, we have been cleared properly, we have presented our certificates that have been verified by both institutions here and out of the country,” he said.
While lauding the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji over his statement calling for fairness in the investigations of the conduct of candidates contesting for different seats, Sakaja said the role of different institutions should not be politicized.
“There is no one law and one set of requirements for Sakaja and another law and other set of requirements for the rest of Kenyans. All of us must be asked to produce the same things. If it is a gown, let all of us produce it, if it’s a timetable, or meal card all of us must be asked the same things,” he said.
In response to his failure to appear before the Commission for University Education (CUE), Sakaja said that they have not received any formal communication from the institution.
“Once they sent it to us, we are ready to abide. We have nothing whatsoever to hide, we have nothing to keep way, we presented the documents like every other aspirant… We stick to what the law demands of us,” he said.
Sakaja has maintained that he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Management (External) from Team University in Uganda.
His date with the DCI comes a day after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) dismissed a case against his clearance.
The IEBC Disputes Resolution Committee cited lack of jurisdiction to probe his academic credentials as the Commission on University Education had already validated his degree.
“The returning officer is not obliged to ascertain validity of a degree while clearing a candidate. The IEBC Dispute Resolution Committee has no jurisdiction to authenticate academic credentials,” read the ruling delivered on Sunday.
The committee also argued that the petitioner filed the petition outside the set timelines as the Returning Officer had already cleared the candidate.
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