It’s a big shame that institutions like the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) and the Commission for University Education (CUE) have chosen to play politics of convenience, making god and goddess out of Johnson Sakaja and Wavinya Ndeti, respectively.
The theatrics and juvenile the Commissions have been embroiled in are a manifestation of their incompetence, and inability to perform their duties, and the commissioners should do the honourable thing and resign.
IEBC, CUE clear candidate with crusade attendance certs
Interior CS Dr Fred Matiang’i early this week, narrated how IEBC had cleared a candidate to run for an elective post with a crusade certificate.
In the previous election, Matiang’i said, a candidate presented a certificate written in one of the languages spoken in South America, claiming it was a master’s degree. IEBC cleared him to run. Later, when the Ministry of Education, headed by Matiang’i was consulted, an interpreter established the certificate awarded was for attending some crusade.
Walter Nyambane was first cleared by Wafula Chebukati himself to run for the president. Chebukati later recalled the clearance, after ‘noticing errors’. Nyambane, when he appeared before the IEBC Disputes Resolution Committee, said he completed a degree at Daystar University within seven months. What a dry joke!
Wavinya Ndeti, vying Machako’s governor’s seat, said she completed a degree in Computer Science in 10 months from the London South Bank University. Asked about the transcripts, she says the University at the time she graduated – 1994/5 – didn’t have systems to keep the transcripts. I’m convinced she’s confusing Computer Science with Computer Packages.
And before I forget, there’s Mr Oscar Sudi, who, as the Court has been told, didn’t sit KCSE, and ‘forged’ a certificate for clearance for the 2017 and 2022 elections.
Sakaja’s case
Sakaja’s case shows how compromised IEBC, and CUE are. Sakaja was cleared in the previous election to contest Nairobi’s senate.
All along, he has maintained he graduated with a degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Nairobi. But that was not the same.
In this election, he is vying for the Capital’s top job on UDA. He was cleared by the IEBC after presenting a degree certificate, authenticated by CUE, from Team University in Uganda.
Later, CUE revoked Sakaja’s clearance, and in a bid to clear its rotten name, the Commission’s chairperson Prof Chacha Nyaigitti presented a number of items Sakaja should present to prove he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Management.
The ridiculous list includes course descriptions, photos of graduation, examination schedules, receipts of application, and tuition fees, among others. When you read into the list, it smells like games, jokes, and witch-hunts. Who keeps tuition fee receipts?
When CUE, for example, certified Wavinya’s, Sakaja’s and other candidates’ academic documents, and later the IEBC accepted them as they were, why didn’t they carry out due diligence to ascertain their authenticity? What are the billions they are allocated for?
IEBC, Chebukati designing chaos
Most of the candidates had been cleared before using the same documents. So, why weren’t their issues?
These politicians, then, were dancing to the music of their masters who had instruments of power. Even Bishop Dr Margaret Wanjiru was cleared in 2013 to run as Nairobi’s CEO, yet when asked about her PhD dissertation title – she said he has a PhD. – she thought Miguna Miguna was asking her about the deserts the Israelites passed through on their way to the Promise Land.
If the late Samuel Kivuitu – of the Electoral Commission of Kenya – was incompetent, easily compromised, messing in 2007 ushering the bloody Post Election Violence aka 2007/8 PEV, then Chebukati is pro-max.
Chebukati’s exhibited his weakness in 2017. Fellow Commissioners openly showed dissatisfaction with the manner in which he ran the election, with Dr Roselyne Akombe resigning. He failed to build collegiality in his team. Ultimately, the presidential election was nullified.
The IEBC, with Chebukati as the chief chef, is writing a recipe for chaos, disputes and unnecessary legal battles for the 2022 General Election.
