By Murimi Mwangi
Nyeri, Kenya: There were discrepancies in a degree certificate provided to Commission for University Education (CUE) by Nyeri gubernatorial candidate, the High Court heard.
CUE’s senior assistant secretary John Mwenja Murage told Nyeri’s Justice James Wakiaga that the Fairland University of Uganda certificate provided by poll loser Thuo Mathenge was suspect.
Murage, who is the Head of Information Services at CUE, said Mathenge’s certificates had significant differences from other certificates issued by Fairland University.
He said that Mathenge’s certificate was not only printed differently from the rest, but also bore different signatures with other certificates allegedly issued on the same day by the institution.
“All certificates from Fairland University that have come to my attention since 2007 have had a consistency in signatures appended by the institution’s chancellor, his deputy and faculty deans, but Mathenge’s certificate was completely different,” Murage said.
Murage told the court whereas Mathenge’s certificate was in A4 portrait orientation, the rest were in landscape prompting him to bring the matter to the attention of Ugandan education authorities.
“Upon receipt of our letter, the Ugandan National Commission for Higher Education wrote to us and attached a newspaper advert dated June 14, 2009 showing that Fairland University’s licence had been revoked,” Murage said.
He added that this prompted CUE to place an advert in dailies on June 1 alerting the public that it had discredited degree certificates from the university, with effect from revocation of the licence.
