Ugandan authorities wade into Johnson Sakaja's degree controversy

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja when he presented himself at the DCI Headquarters in Nairobi on June 17, 2022, over his degree. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The truth about the validity of Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja’s degree may take a longer time to unravel as Ugandan authorities cite delays in fast tracking investigations into the matter.

This is after the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in Uganda notified the Commission for University Education (CUE) in Kenya that they (Council) had stopped investigations on the validity of Sakaja’s degree after sleuths from the Ugandan government took over the matter.

 “NCHE commenced investigations in order to determine the authenticity of the Bachelor of Science in Management (External) degree awarded to Sakaja Johnson by Team University.

However, prior to completion of our investigation, the Inspectorate of Government (IG) has commenced investigations into the same matter, hence superseding our action,” reads the letter from NCHE

The letter dated June 29 this year further reads: “The purpose of this letter is therefore, to inform you of the above development and to advise that a final position will be availed once the investigation by the IG is concluded,”

The letter was authored by Prof Mary Okwakol, NCHE executive director.

The new development comes just a day after CUE finally revoked Sakaja’s degree. In a letter to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati, CUE said it reached the decision after Uganda’s Team University and Sakaja failed to produce necessary evidence.

According to Mwenda Ntarangwi, the CUE Chief Executive Officer, by the time they concluded investigations, they had not received any evidence from the institution, NCHE or Sakaja himself.

“Failure to submit the most basic evidence of study and the process of earning a degree inevitably renders the certificate submitted for recognition inefficient to prove that Sakaja studied either physically or through distance learning and that he holds an academic degree,” said Ntarangwi in his letter to Chebukati.