I Was Too Shy To Go Back – Sakaja on Why He Did Not Complete UoN Degree

Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja who is currently under fire, has admitted that he did not complete the course he was pursuing at the University of Nairobi and that, as a result, he did not earn a degree from that school.

The absence of tuition caused Sakaja to leave the institution after his fourth year of the Actuarial Science program, he told Spice FM on Friday.

Therefore, he said that he took a sabbatical as he attempted to navigate the city’s workforce before finally joining politics, where he was able to establish himself.

The Senator could now pay the needed school fee, but by this point, he was ashamed of himself and could not bring himself to return to the classroom.

Read: Trouble for Sakaja as CUE Revokes Recognition of Uganda Degree, Again

He did, however, state that he is planning to go back and finish the remaining courses.

“By the time I was now able to go back, I was too embarrassed and shy to go back to class. And that’s something I’ll complete, I’ll finish it, through 3 or 4 units. But there is no law that says you must bring a degree from the University of Nairobi,” said the gubernatorial candidate.

The senator added that he chose to enroll in Team University in Uganda as a distance learning student around the same time.

He insisted that the degree he obtained from the college and submitted for approval to run for the position of Nairobi Governor is legitimate and has received approval from all pertinent agencies.

Read Also: Sakaja in the Clear As CUE Withdraws Letter Revoking Recognition of Degree

As a result, he charged that the Commission for University Education (CUE) Chairman Prof Chacha Nyaigoti had revoked the degree’s accreditations in order to appease political pressure from certain sectors.

He claimed that Prof Nyaigoti is affiliated to the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance coalition party and has been organising political rallies on behalf of the Raila Odinga-led outfit.

“I made the decision to pursue this program as an external student, on distant learning, and I did it slowly from 2012 and I finished,” he said.

“The requirement to run for governor is you must have a degree. I have a degree, I took it, they accepted and accredited it. I didn’t go there with a newspaper, I went with a certificate and transcripts and everything.”

Read Also: I Do Not Have Evidence Barring Igathe From Running for Governor -Petitioner Tells IEBC

“That process (revocation) is really just meant to slow me down…but I understand the game, and without going into too much detail because it’s in court, it’s really a political thing that’s happening,” continued Sakaja.

“I have the qualifications to run for governor of Nairobi. And not just the qualifications, I have the passion, the will, the competence, the experience to actually take our city to the next level.”

This comes a day after the Commission for University Education (CUE) revoked recognition for his degree, again.

In a letter to Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati, the commission said Sakaja’s degree from Team University in Uganda is “ineligible for recognition”.

Read Also: Wavinya Ndeti’s Computer Science Degree Fake – Machakos Voters Allege

The commission’s secretary Prof Mwenda Ntarangwi in the letter dated June 29, said the decision has been communicated to the gubernatorial candidate.

Prof Ntarangwi also noted that the aspiring governor has the right to appeal the decision pursuant to Universities Regulations, 2014, Part XXII, 85.

“The Commission hereby notifies you that recognition of the qualification of the purported Bachelor of Science in Management (External) degree from Team University, issued to one Sakaja Johnson Arthur, which was presented to your good office in compliance to the provisions of section 22(2) of the Elections Act and Regulation 47 of the Election (General) Regulations, 2012 is revoked,” read the letter in part.

At the conclusion of the investigation, CUE claimed that neither Team’s University nor Sakaja himself had provided any proof that he had been pursuing a degree.

“Failure to submit even the most basic evidence of study and the process of earning a degree inevitably renders the degree certificate submitted insufficient to prove that Sakaja studied either physically or through distance learning and that he holds an academic degree.”