Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja responds to fraud allegations against him

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja. [File, Standard]

Senator Johnson Sakaja has responded to fraud allegations filed against him and reiterated that he attended and graduated from Team University.

He says that the Ugandan-based institution conveniently left out a page showing his name on the graduation list.

“That among other qualifications and awards of excellence, I hold a Bachelor of Science in Management degree conferred upon me by Team University in Uganda, having satisfied the requirements for the award,” Sakaja said.

Sakaja’s response came days after inconsistencies concerning his academic credentials emerged and a complaint challenging his IEBC clearance was filed.

“My qualifications and academic credentials are not in doubt having been affirmed through a lawful process. (Annexed hereto and marked “SJA3” is a letter from the Team University to the National Council for Higher education (NCHE) with reference to verification of my academic documents,” he added.

“The Complainants’ wild allegations to the effect that I did not graduate from Team University are factually hollow and unfounded. For nefarious goals, the Complainants have fraudulently omitted relevant pages of the graduation booklet that bear my graduation credentials,”

In an affidavit sworn on June 13, the first-term senator has distanced himself from the name Sakaja Koskei Johnson who has been named in the petition saying he has never used that name.

He says he is called Sakaja Arthur Johnson.

“I have never been known, identified or addressed by the name ‘SAKAJA KOSKEI JOHNSON’ in any manner whatsoever, or associated with the 1st Respondent herein referred to as ‘SAKAJA KOSKEI JOHNSON’ in Complaint No. 230 of 2022,” Sakaja’s response read in part.

“THAT the person cited as the 1st Respondent in Complaint No. 230 of 2022, one “SAKAJA KOSKEI JOHNSON” is a complete stranger to the election for the position 2 of Governor, Nairobi City County, in the general election scheduled for 9th August 2022,”

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has four cases filed against him before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) dispute resolution committee.

The complaints are challenging his clearance to run for office on grounds that his academic papers presented for clearance are fake, days after he was cleared by the electoral commission.

On Sunday, he appeared at the Milimani Law Courts alongside his running mate James Muchiri, a former banker.

The first-term senator is eyeing Nairobi County’s top job on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party under the Kenya Kwanza coalition.