University of Nairobi graduate sues institution over wrong degree

KENYA: A University of Nairobi graduate has sued the institution over a wrongful degree classification.

Mursar Hajj Ali went to court on Monday morning seeking to have the university compelled by the High Court to change his degree classification, which he says has caused him to lose his job and about Sh 10 million in salaries and benefits.

Mr Ali is aggrieved by the decision of the institution to switch his grading to a second-class honours, upper division.

"I have reasons to believe that I was victimised by blanket grading since the University gave me a default option of degree choice and not my choice of majors in political science and a psychology minor," he said.

The institution, he further said, instead classified his degree as economics, political science and psychology, a move which he maintains has prejudiced his interests.

He stated in his petition that his ordeal began two weeks to graduation when he sought for his results without any luck. Some of the results, he further said, have not yet been posted on the students' portal to date.

"Denying me my marks and classifying my degree wrongly has denied me opportunities to find gainful employment and self progress," Ali said.

He further blamed the wrongly classified degree for his dismissal from employment in 2012 from a cargo and shipping agency, which he said has led him to lose Sh10 million in salaries and other benefits.

"The dean of faculty of arts and his staff have consistently treated me with contempt and despite continuously writing to them they have deliberately refused to respond," said Ali.

High Court Judge Mumbi Ngugi declined to issue any orders and directions before hearing the University's arguments.

She directed Ali to serve the institution with the suit papers before the matter is heard on September 28.