NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 30 — Uganda’s National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) now says a probe on Team University, a private institution from where Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Johnson Sakaja is said to have acquired his degree, is nearing completion.
NCHE, the equivalent of Commission for University Education (CUE) in Kenya, told Ugandan newspaper the New Vision, the Council had already commenced an investigating on Team University.
NCHE Executive Director Prof. Mary Okwakol assured that they would share a complete report soon since the probe was at an advanced stage.
“Let us finalize our investigations and everyone will know. We cannot share anything now until the investigations are complete,” Prof Okwakol said.
New Vision reported that a former student from Team University had told the news outlet that the Nairobi Senator was not among graduands in the 2016 graduation when only six candidates graduated from the class Sakaja is said to have been part of.
“We didn’t have online studies at the time and when we graduated in October 21,2016, we were only six students. I know them because we were classmates,” noted the student.
Sakaja secured a lifeline in his bid to ascend to City Hall after 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 CUE 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.
Sakaja attached his degree certificate from Team University and a letter from the institution’s Executive Director informing that he enrolled for a Bachelor of Science in Management as a student on Distance Learning and graduated on October 21, 2016.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has also commenced a probe into the authenticity of Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja’s University degree certificate.
DCI boss Director George Kinoti confirmed to Capital FM News that the agency had opened investigations into Sakaja’s credentials adding that they are yet to complete the investigations into the issue.
Kinoti’s made the statement shortly after he linked Sakaja to an international criminal syndicate over the degree saga.
Even as controversy continues, the Nairobi gubernatorial contender has blamed his woes on ‘state machinery’ including President Uhuru Kenyatta whom Sakaja says is out to frustrate his bid.
Sakaja has since maintained that he will be on the ballot in the August 9 gubernatorial race despite the controversy on his qualification.
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