Degree fiasco: Why politicians find it difficult to return to school

Several politicians are fighting to be on the ballot paper in August 9, 2022, General Election, with academic qualifications posing a hurdle for some who are seeking either the gubernatorial or presidential seats.

In Kenya, it is mandatory that any person seeking the executive seat (presidency or governorship) must be a holder of at least a bachelor’s degree.

Some of the leaders whose academic qualifications have been questioned are Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja, his Kakamega counterpart Cleophas Malala, Meru Senator Mithika Linturi, and Machakos governorship aspirant Wavinya Ndeti and Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja.

Senator Sakaja is seeking to be Nairobi Governor, Malala is eyeing Kakamega governorship, and Linturi wants to unseat Kiraitu Murungi as the Governor of Meru County, while Samboja is seeking re-election.

Sakaja has been under sharp scrutiny after a petitioner filed a complaint with the IEBC’s dispute resolution committee, arguing that the lawmaker does not have a valid degree (Bachelor of Science in Management) from Kampala-based university, Team.

Sakaja, who was an Actuarial Science student at the University of Nairobi, did not graduate from the institution, as records show that he’s yet to complete his studies.

Malala, on the other hand, is facing the task of defending his alleged bachelor’s degree in information systems from the United States International University- Africa (USIU).

Linturi is accused of faking a university degree from India, while Samboja is accused of falsifying a bachelor’s degree from Kenyatta University.

All the adversely mentioned politicians deny any wrongdoing, saying they deservedly got the academic certificates.

Presidential candidate for Safina Party Jimi Wanjigi was denied clearance by the IEBC over lack of an undergraduate degree. The IEBC said records indicate that Wanjigi is scheduled to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Daystar University in November 2022.

Walter Mong’are of the Umoja Summit Party was also removed from the list of cleared presidential candidates after the IEBC established that he did not have a university degree by the time of clearance.

The big question is, why are politicians finding it difficult to enrol for a bachelor’s degree despite having the money for fees?

“Understanding human behaviour is complex. One answer can’t fit all queries pertaining to human behaviour,” sociologist Karatu Kiemo told The Standard.

“However, I can say politicians fail to secure university education because they are either uninterested or due to other factors such as their daily schedule, which could be busy at times,” added Dr Kiemo.

Okwach Abagi, a career educator, said most politicians give the degree a wide berth because they believe they can circumvent the law to get what they want.

“Most of our politicians do flout integrity requirements set by Chapter Six of the Constitution. They’ve also made it difficult to implement the recommendations. Remember, they are the same people who make the laws,” said Dr Abagi.

“They’ve created a legal lacuna when it comes to implementation of Chapter Six of the Constitution. Is it the DCI, the IEBC, the EACC or the Commission for University Education (CUE) responsible for enforcing the integrity of educational credentials? Due to lack of clarity on this, the politicians manage to circumvent the law to their favour.”

Dr Abagi said political parties that front politicians with questionable educational backgrounds also play a role in the degrees fiasco.

“A single lie by an aspirant, regardless of how popular he or she is, should be a factor that leads to the disqualification of their bid,” he said.

Dr Abagi also said that the CUE’s mandate should go beyond “just confirming whether a university or course is certified”.

Sociologist Dr Karatu Kiemo, however, says leaders shouldn’t be judged based on educational qualifications only.

“A university degree isn’t an indicator of intelligence. It’s just a certificate proving you’ve gone through some journey. There should be other mechanisms of identifying the candidates’ capabilities,” he said.

Several leaders are battling to be on the ballot paper, with the IEBC’s dispute resolution committee set to deliver rulings in the next one week as the general election date nears.