Last month, Miguna Miguna, former chief of staff of the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party presidential flag bearer Raila Odinga questioned the academic records of his former boss.
The controversial lawyer even went ahead to challenge the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to make public the original copy of Raila Odinga’s university certificate before clearing him.
According to the Constitution of Kenya 2010, for one to be cleared to vie for the country’s top seat must be a holder of a degree from a University recognized in Kenya.
On Tuesday, June 14, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), a party Deputy President William Ruto said will use to seek the presidency challenged Raila Odinga to come clean on which university he graduated from.
“Questions have also been asked about the credibility of presidential candidates’ qualifications. You have seen a lot of headlines questioning the university that our biggest opponent, Raila Amolo Odinga, qualified from,” UDA secretary-general Veronica Maina said.
Maina who was commenting about the predicaments facing its Nairobi gubernatorial candidate, Johnson Sakaja, over his academic qualifications said that the question about the academic qualifications of candidates must be dealt with equally.
“It is a very big question which needs to be looked at, not through the lens of just one candidate, but a wider public question,” Maina said in an interview with Citizen TV.
It’s worth noting that the former prime minister who is making his fifth stab at the presidency in the August 9, General Election has been on record saying he has a degree in mechanical engineering.
According to Raila, the questions raised about his academic credential are politically being pushed by his bitter rival to lock him out of the presidential race.
“I have encountered a lot of hurdles on my political journey. Some people thought that I should not be cleared. Others even went ahead to question whether I would live to Election day but now they will have to face me on the ballot,” Raila said.
