Joho earns fresh degree but skips graduation fete

Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho on Wednesday graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from Gretsa University in Thika.

Mr Joho, who did not attend the event, got a Second Class honours, Lower Division.

An earlier degree in Business Administration from Kampala University sparked controversy and was declared invalid by the Uganda National Council of Higher Education in 2014.

Well-known for being active on social media, Mr Joho did not post the event on his Facebook or Twitter accounts.

A university official said the governor had not communicated that he would miss the graduation ceremony.

Mr Joho joined Gretsa in 2014 under the Distance Learning Programme.

More than 1,000 students graduated in various degree, diploma and certificate courses.

The Chancellor, Professor Kibathi Mbuthia, said this year the university admitted 222 government-sponsored students.

“We are grateful to the government for approving the placement of its sponsored students with our university,” said Prof Kibathi. “This year, we received 220 students and we hope to get more next year.”

He said the university has acquired a 60-acre piece of land at Makuyu to expand its facilities.

Prof Kibathi said the institution had strict conditions for admitting students as required by the Commission for University Education (CUE).

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has ordered CUE to investigate allegations that some politicians enrolled in universities without meeting the necessary admission requirements.

Uganda National Council of Higher Education (NCHE), report indicated that there was no clear evidence that academic due process was followed from admission to graduation regarding a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (Human Resource Management option) awarded to Mr Joho by Kampala University.

NCHE had said that Mr Joho may not have been in Uganda to physically undertake studies, raising doubts about how the university awarded him the degree.

Mr Joho has been battling claims that his degree is fake and maintains that he is a graduate of Kampala University, Uganda.

However, earlier case challenging his academic qualification was dismissed after the judge found that the application lacked merit.

In 2014, the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko ordered fresh investigations into the authenticity of his degree this after he was petitioned by Mr Silas Otuke to reopen the matter..

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has since ordered the CUE to investigate allegations that some politicians enrolled in universities without meeting admission requirements.

LIVE TO ITS WORD

Dr Matiang’i said the government would live up to its word and the requirements of the law.

“Any university that may have admitted unqualified persons and cannot demonstrate that such persons actually met university certification or degree attainment criteria should face regulatory penalty, which may include being stripped of its charter,” warned the CS.

On Wednesday, Mbala Mbala MP Abdikadir Aden asked Dr Matiang’i to avoid treating with suspicion, politicians who enrol in registered universities for various degree programs in their quest to advance their education.

Speaking during Gretsa University’s 7th graduation ceremony, Mr Aden said Matiang’i should not single out politicians who have been through institutions that have been registered by his Ministry as having unsatisfactorily completed their degree programs.

“Matiang’i should not say that he shall be keen on politicians gaining degrees in numbers, more so on those who have been through legitimate universities that the Ministry has certified to offer various learning programmes, let as many as possible go out there and further their education” he said.

The legislator who was overseeing the graduation of over 100 NG -CDF and self- sponsored graduates from his constituency congratulated Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho for graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Commerce at the University.