Group claims Sakaja holds fake UoN degree

• Apr 27, 2022

Group claims Sakaja holds fake UoN degree

By Justus Karanja

Email:thingiragema@gmail.com

The Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa (OSIEA) has written to the University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor, Prof Stephen Gitahi Kiama demanding to be furnished with Nairobi Senator Johnston Koskei Sakaja's academic credentials.

In the letter signed by the body’s Programme Manager, Magdalene Wanza-Kioko, titled ‘Verification of Hon. Johnson Koskei Sakaja's (ID. No: 23341628) degree,' OSIEA says it is an organisation that is committed to strengthening democratic values, governance, rule of law and accountability.

“We write to seek clarification on the veracity of academic credentials claimed by the above-named, a prominent Kenyan who may have used fake credentials to advance his political career and is now seeking to be governor of Nairobi County,” the letter states.

“As you know, it is a legal requirement under the Elections Act that aspirants for gubernatorial seats be holders of a degree from a recognised university. Hon. Sakaja, who is notorious for suppressing his Kalenjin ethnic identity, claims to hold a Bachelor's Degree (BSc) in Actuarial Science from the University of Nairobi. However, we have been unable to find his name on the Official Graduation Catalogue of your university between 2007 and 2012 when he would reasonably have been expected to graduate. We have also established that there are no graduation photographs of the Senator in existence,” Magdalene states.

She adds: “As a young, ambitious leader, he has also never applied for a graduate degree. Given the huge public interest generated by this issue, we are writing to request you to clarify whether the degree that Hon Koskei Sakaja purports to hold was awarded by the University of Nairobi.”

“Pursuant to the objects of the Leadership and Integrity Act and the Public Officer Ethics Act, we wish to demand, under the Freedom of Information Act, that your office provides the following documents: i) A copy of the Senator's degree certificate, ii) A copy of all of his transcripts for the entire duration of the degree programme, iii) A copy of the published graduation programme/catalogue showing his name, faculty, department and date of graduation (An errata will not be accepted unless accompanied by a detailed explanation letter and a sworn affidavit),” the letter states.

“Please provide this information within the next seven (7) days starting from the date of this letter, failure to which we shall be left with no option but to file a petition to compel the university to do so,” it concludes.