A Kenyan advocacy group has written to Uganda’s Minister of Education Janet Museveni seeking clarification on the validity of Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja’s university degree.
Sakaja alleges that he graduated in October 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Management Degree from Kampala-based university, Team.
The lawmaker is, however, on the record saying he’s never pursued any form of education, both basic and tertiary, from an institution located outside Kenya.
Sakaja was originally a Bachelor of Actuarial Science student at the University of Nairobi (UoN), but never cleared his education at the institution. He was admitted to UoN in 2003.
The senator is eyeing the Nairobi gubernatorial seat in the August 9, 2022 General Election.
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In Kenya, it is mandatory that any person seeking the executive seat (presidency or governorship) must be a holder of at least a bachelor’s degree.
A petitioner, Dennis Wahome, filed a case before the IEBC’s Dispute Resolution Committee challenging Johnson Sakaja’s clearance to run for Nairobi governorship on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party ticket, saying there is no evidence suggesting he is a degree holder.
In his affidavit, Sakaja, however, said that those alleging he never studied at Team University in Uganda conveniently left out a page showing his name on the graduation list.
A Kenyan advocacy group known as Youth Advocacy Africa has now written to Uganda’s Education minister, Janet Museveni, who is the wife of President Yoweri Museveni, seeking her response on whether Sakaja studied in the country and graduated in 2016.
“The degree awarded to Sakaja is not an honorary degree but an academic degree purportedly awarded after successful completion of coursework and other instructions for the award of the same,” the advocacy group said in their June 14 letter to Janet Museveni.
“From [the] available immigration services information in Kenya, Sakaja has only travelled to Uganda once, which was on October 17, 2014 and the visit was for parliamentary business, not for educational purposes.”
The applicants now want the Minister of Education to compel Team University to produce Sakaja’s admission letter, details of payment of school fees, evidence that the legislator attended classes, and why Sakaja’s name was allegedly omitted from the list of graduands, who were awarded a degree in management on October 21, 2016.
Through their lawyer, Waithaka Ngaruiya, the Youth Advocacy Africa told Janet Museveni: “Our client is certain that your office will treat this matter with the importance and the urgency that it requires to safeguard the image of Uganda as a country that has traditionally offered education to many students in the East African Community.”
