Amherst College declines to respond to Uhuru’s graduation
President Uhuru Kenyatta addresses Ruaka residents on April 5, 2017. Amherst had affirmed on Twitter that Uhuru Kenyatta graduated in 1985. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Amherst had affirmed on Twitter that Uhuru Kenyatta graduated in 1985 with a degree in economics & political science.
- President Kenyatta’s critics have kept been sending comments to Amherst despite the school’s announcements.
NEW YORK
A US college will no longer respond individually to inquiries regarding President Uhuru Kenyatta’s university education and graduation.
Amherst College said its decision was prompted by “overwhelming demand” on Mr Kenyatta graduating in 1985 from the prestigious institution in the state of Massachusetts.
Amherst had affirmed on Twitter that “Uhuru Kenyatta graduated in 1985 with a degree in economics & political science”.
President Kenyatta’s critics have kept been sending comments to Amherst despite the school’s announcements.
“How President Uhuru Kenyatta got his economics degree @AmherstCollege is wanting,” tweeted a Kenyan identified as Sururu Salaash. “He is getting it wrong on everything economic!”
The Amherst Bulletin, a daily newspaper published in the town where the college is, quoted other Kenyatta-related tweets in its April 4 edition.
“The guy has killed our economy, that’s why we want to know if indeed he studied there,” tweeted Mongare Richard.
Amherst College did not respond to a Nation query regarding the number of tweets it has received in regard to the Head of State’s graduation.
INFORMATION WITHHELD
Scott Merzbach, the Amherst Bulletin reporter who wrote the April 4 story, said the college has not responded to his own follow-up queries.
Amherst has also declined to release President Kenyatta’s grades, saying it does not reveal such information due to personal privacy considerations.
In their zeal to investigate the President’s academic credentials, some Kenyans have mistakenly directed tweets at a university based in the same town as Amherst College.
The University of Massachusetts’ branch in Amherst responded with a statement declaring “Uhuru Kenyatta has no affiliation w/ UMass Amherst.
He attended Amherst College, a different school in the same town”.
The Twitter storm appears to be a form of retaliation for accusations that Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho had forged a certificate indicating he completed high school. Mr Joho has denied those allegations.
Mr Joho has denied those allegations and said they are part of an effort to prevent him from seeking re-election.
The Mombasa governor admitted he scored a D minus in the exam.
