Petitioners question Wavinya Ndeti's UK degrees

Wavinya Ndeti. She is in trouble over her academic papers. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Wiper Party candidate for Machakos governor Wavinya Ndeti is in trouble over her academic papers.

Two petitioners claim Ms Ndeti claims to have been awarded a master’s degree before undertaking undergraduate studies.

Gideon Ndewa and Kisilu Mutisya want the candidacy of the former Transport CAS,  who was given a direct ticket after Mavoko MP Patrick Makau dropped out of the race in her favour, revoked.

“Ms Ndeti is not a holder of a degree recognised in Kenya. On November 6, 1992, she was purportedly awarded a master’s degree in Business Systems Analysis and Design by the City University, London, without having undertaken the first degree,” say the petitioners.

They say on July 18, 1995, Ms Ndeti obtained a bachelor’s degree  in Computing Studies from South Bank University, London, and that “the title of the degree is extremely uncommon to a point where it does not feature online as a course.”

“Computer science is the universal course title for this field of study. Indeed, the graduate diploma awarded to Ms Ndeti by South Bank Polytechnic, London, some five years earlier in 1990, was for computer science. It is very unlikely that the university would have changed the degree title to Computing Studies in a span of five years,” they say.

Dismiss petition

But the politician dismisses the petition.

He lawyer, Lumallas Achieng, argues that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s Disputes Resolution Tribunal has no powers to hear the matter, which is also before the party’s National Elections Board.

“The jurisdiction of this tribunal should not be invoked until such a mechanism as laid down by statute have been exhausted,” she said.

The panel will determine the case on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka yesterday threw his weight behind former Nairobi governor, Mike Sonko, who is fighting for clearance to contest for Mombasa governor.

Sonko and the Wiper party have challenged IEBC’s decision to block him from vying for the seat on August 9.

“The first thing I have instructed our teams is to raise a preliminary objection that we will serve the IEBC team with. The people of Mombasa need not be disenfranchised,” he said at the Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi.

The hearing of Sonko’s petition was scheduled to start yesterday, but was postponed to today to give the returning officer time to file a response. Wiper has accused the electoral agency of double standards. Sonko argues that the decision to block him is erroneous and discriminatory since there are other aspirants with active appeals who have been cleared.

The party cites Sirisia MP John Waluke, who IEBC cleared despite being convicted because he has a pending appeal.

Sonko is challenging his impeachment in the Supreme Court.

“The complainant contends that the reason for refusal to clear the interested party on account of breach of Chapter 6 of the Constitution is a matter on appeal at the Supreme Court,” says Wiper.

Last week, IEBC declined to clear Sonko after the Mombasa County Returning Officer Swalhah Yusuf said he had not received directive from chairman Wafula Chebukati on the matter.

The former governor was also not cleared on grounds of failure to present his original degree certificate, certified copy of the degree certificate, stamped Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) clearance documents and breach of Article 75 of the Constitution. On Monday last week, the High Court lifted orders barring IEBC from clearing Sonko.