Presidential Hopeful Walter Mong’are Unable To Explain How He Completed Degree in Seven Months

According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Umoja Summit Party presidential candidate Walter ‘Nyambane’ Mong’are supposedly completed his university degree in seven months.

The presidential candidate whose candidacy was canceled by the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) due to the legitimacy of his educational credentials, and who later appealed the decision, has been found to have questionable academic credentials.

According to a transcript, the Daystar University alumni registered in the institution for seven months, beginning May 10, 2021, and ending December 18, 2021, as revealed by the IEBC’s Dispute Resolution Committee on Friday.

“When you transfer units from one university to the other it’s supposed to appear in the final transcript….from page 8 to page 13 how many units are those? Do you have 142?” Challenged IEBC commissioner Abdi Guliye, a member of the panel.

Read: End of Road For Walter Mong’are As IEBC Revokes Presidential Clearance Certificate

“I’m coming to the transfer. Looking at the start of the entry date and the end date, that’s how many months? It’s about six months isn’t it? In short, your client was a student for seven months, is that correct?”

After being cross-examined by the committee in the proceedings heard at Milimani Law Courts, Nyambane went out of his way to clarify how he got his degree.

After transferring from Kenyatta University to Daystar University, the comedian-turned-politician persisted on finishing his degree studies and was set to graduate in November of this year.

Despite the fact that neither he nor his lawyer, Alutalala Mukhwana, could find the units in his transcripts, his lawyer referenced High Court decisions allowing people to run for office using transcripts.

Read Also: Former Comedian Walter Mong’are To Vie for the Presidency

“A degree is not a one-off event, it is not a graduation ceremony where many relatives are ferried into town and buy very good flowers; it is a prescribed program study,” submitted Mukhwana.

The tribunal will determine Mong’are’s fate on Sunday.

The electoral commission revoked his candidacy on June 6 after it identified a contradiction in his academic papers.

A presidential candidate must have at least a bachelor’s degree to run for president, the Constitution stipulates.

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Mong’are was summoned to appear before the IEBC last week to produce confirmation of his academic papers, but he did not show up, said IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati.

“As the Returning Officer for the Presidential Election, upon discovery of new information on Walter Mong’are, as related to lack of academic qualifications, I invited him to appear before me today (Monday, June 6) at 2pm to clarify the issue. However, he failed to honour my invitation and I hereby revoke the nomination certificate of Walter Mong’are,” Chebukati said.

Presidential candidate for the Safina Party Jimi Wanjigi said earlier that Mong’are had not completed his undergraduate studies and that the Umoja Summit Party presidential candidate lacked a bachelor’s degree.

Wanjigi made the assertions after the electoral commission failed to clear him for the presidential election when it was discovered that he had not completed an undergraduate degree.

Read Also: Fuming Wanjigi Out of Presidential Race Over Lack of Degree Certificate

Wanjigi is a Daystar University student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Security Studies.

The tycoon is apparently supposed to graduate on December 2022.