Relief for Sakaja as IEBC dismisses CUE decision to reject his university degree

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja can breathe a sigh of relief after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) dismissed the decision by the Commission for University Education to revoke the revocation of his university degree certificate.

On Thursday (CUE) through its chair cancelled recognition of Sakaja’s degree certificate from Uganda’s Team University claiming by the time the senator obtained the degree, the university was not offering the course externally beyond its borders.

But the electoral commission chair Wafula Chebukati in a swift rejoinder has dismissed CUE, indicating that the degree saga was dealt with by the commission’s Dispute Resolution Tribunal.

According to Chebukati, the only way to reverse Sakaja’s clearance is by overturning the decision of the tribunal through a court order. This essentially grants Sakaja, who is the UDA Governor candidate a lifeline.

Sakaja’s lawyers have vowed to appeal against the CUE decision.

Senator Sakaja petitioned IEBC to disregard the revocation of recognition Sakaja’s degree, accusing CUE of prosecuting a matter that was in court and acting in contempt of court.

The Senator warned the electoral agency against entertaining CUE’s latest move claiming it will be on a coalition path with the law. Equally, Sakaja through his advocate accused the commission for university education of playing politics in what he said was a relentless and unlawful obsession to eliminate him from the Nairobi gubernatorial contest.

Meanwhile, in the corridors of justice, the Nairobi Senator got another reprieve after the High Court declined to strike him off the ballot paper. In a petition to the court, Dennis Wahome had asked the court to bar IEBC from printing ballots for the Nairobi gubernatorial race until the case on the validity of Sakaja’s degree credentials is heard and determined.

The High Court essentially allowed IEBC to proceed with the process of printing ballot papers as the case proceeds. The case will be heard on Monday.