Johnson Sakaja degree saga advanced as CUE revoke permanently

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja.

 Johnson Sakaja's degree was cancelled again by the Commission for University Education (CUE).

CUE Secretary Mwenda Ntarangwi stated in a letter to IEBC that the decision had been communicated to the UDA candidate and that he had the right to appeal under the Universities Regulations 2014.

In a letter sent on June 29, Ntarangwi said, "The Commission notifies you (IEBC) that the certificate recognising the qualification of the supposed Bachelor of Science in Management (External) degree from Team University issued to one Sakaja is revoked."

In a June 6 letter, Ntarangwi said CUE accepted Sakaja's request for degree recognition.

Soon after, Ntarangwi said the commission received written public comments.

As required by the Elections Act, the CEO said that the information they had showed that Sakaja was never accepted to Team University or studied there.

 

The Commission also investigated the legitimacy of a degree diploma offered for recognition.

"The Commission sent Sakaja concerns on June 25 and 26." In two letters, he was told to show the Commission how he acquired his degree, the CEO said.

Sakaja was requested to provide a letter of acceptance from the team, course units and dates studied, and transcripts to enable the CUE to investigate.

Other criteria were fee receipts, names of professors, a graduation booklet, and any communications between him and Team University officials.

He was also told to show CUE proof of his degree's content, profile, workload, quality, and learning outcomes.

"Despite being given a chance to make written and oral statements through letters dated June 25 and 26, he disregarded, rejected, or ignored both the request to submit information and the opportunity to be heard during additional investigations," the CEO said.

The Commission said it investigated his application and that of the Ugandan National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).

The IEBC was told by CUE that the degree certificate for Team University said Bachelor of Science in Management (External).

CUE says Team University wasn't NCHE-accredited to provide such a degree at the time.

"Team University is accredited to provide a Bachelor of Science in Management" (External). NCHE also reported that Team University validated Sakaja's B.S. in Management enrollment. Ntarangwi claimed there was no mention of BSM.

CUE also declared a Bachelor of Science in Management (External) is not a Bachelor of Science in Management and violates guideline 1 of the Universities Standards Guideline, 2014, which states that academic programme titles must be brief, simple, and indicative of their overall content.

When Sakaja ran for senator in 2017, he said that the only degree he had was from the University of Nairobi.

"No announcement was made about Team University, where he says he graduated in 2016." The CEO said that the University of Nairobi has confirmed to the Commission that he did not finish his Actuarial Science degree in 2003.

At the end of the investigation, CUE informed IEBC that they hadn't received any proof from NCHE, Team, or Sakaja that he studied at Team and acquired a Bachelor of Science in Management (External).

"If the submitted degree certificate doesn't show even the most basic proof of study and the process of getting a degree, it's not good enough," Ntarangwi said.

"Based on these findings, and in compliance with Section 5 of the Universities Act 2012, Part XI of the Universities Regulations 2014, the Universities Standards and Guidelines, and the Standards for Recognition and Equation of Qualifications, the Commission has come to the inescapable decision that the purported Bachelor of Science in Management (External) degree certificate is ineligible."