IEBC confirms viral letter to Ugandan University on Johnson Sakaja degree is fake

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has responded to a letter purportedly written by the electoral body to Team University in Uganda over Nairobi Senator and gubernatorial aspirant Johnson Sakaja's degree certificate.

IEBC labelled the letter as fake and clarified that the letter that went viral on social media was not authored by the commission.

The fake letter contained a forged signature of IEBC chairman, Mr Wafula Chebukati and was addressed to the dean of students of Team University.

The author of the fake letter purporting to be IEBC chairperson, Wafula Chebukati sought to know whether Sakaja was a student at the institution and the status of his degree certificate.

The letter in question emerged on social media as the electoral commission was vetting and clearing candidates for various seats with Sakaja seeking clearance to fly the UDA flag in the Nairobi gubernatorial contest.

It surfaced just days after unverified academic records purported to be those of Sakaja circulated on social media with allegations that the same documents from the university were presented to IEBC and used to get clearance for the Senator to contest for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat.

File image of Johnson Sakaja on the campaign trail Pulse Live Kenya

According to the documents purported to be from Team University, Sakaja was awarded a second class honours in Bachelor of Science in Management in October 2016 after completing his studies.

Controversy on Sakaja's degree and graduation

Sakaja was cleared by the electoral body on June 7 after meeting all the requirements to contest for the gubernatorial seat and furnishing the commission with all the required documents.

The Senator’s degree papers have consistently been questioned amid allegations that he did not complete his Actuarial Science degree at the University of Nairobi and as such did not qualify to vie as governor.

He dismissed reports that he does not hold a valid degree certificate, maintaining that he had completed his studies and presented his papers to IEBC without disclosing which papers he submitted to the electoral body.

The lawmaker added that he used the same papers to get clearance from the IEBC to run for his current post in 2017.

"I am sufficiently qualified, the documents I presented are the same documents I presented in 2017 to vie for Senator, so I have been cleared to vie for Nairobi governor.

"Our march is unstoppable, our faith unshakeable and our victory is inevitable. We must make Nairobi work, we must restore our city back to its former glory by offering our people, order, dignity, hope, and opportunity for all," he stated shortly after he was cleared by IEBC.