Court halts NCHE probe on Team varsity degree
Johnson Sakaja, senator for Nairobi, Kenya.
What you need to know:
- Team University now accuses the regulator (NCHE) of opening up fresh investigations after initially indicating that the institution is licensed.
The High Court has temporarily halted the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) investigations into the award of a degree by Team University to a Kenyan senator.
The Civil Division of the High Court issued the interim order against NCHE on Monday following an application by the university.
“An interim order is issued restraining the respondent (NCHE), its employees, subordinates, agents or any other person from investigating into the qualification awarded to Mr Johnson Sakaja by Team University,” reads in part.
The order that was issued by court Deputy Registrar Jamson Karemani also barred NCHE from relying on the said investigation for a decision until determination of another application which is slated for July 14.
The decision resulted from a case filed by Team University challenging an investigation by NCHE against the degree awarded to Mr Johnson Sakaja.
Documents show that Mr Sakaja studied from Team University from 2012 to 2016, pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Management degree, which was conducted through distance learning programme.
On June 6, the NCHE wrote to the Prof Mwenda Ntarangwi, the commissioner for University Education in Kenya, indicating that Mr Sakaja was indeed admitted to the university, pursued the said studies and that he was awarded the requisite qualifications.
“The purposes of this letter is to inform you that Team University holds a provisional licence to operate as a private university and is recognised by NCHE. We have received confirmation from Team University that Mr Johnson Sakaja was enrolled for the Bachelor of Science in Management and he graduated on October 21, 2016,” reads the NCHE letter signed by the executive director, Prof Mary Okwakol.
Fresh probe
Team University now accuses the regulator (NCHE) of opening up fresh investigations after initially indicating that the institution is licensed.
Through its lawyers of Mwesigwa Rukutana Advocates, the university claims NCHE has no mandate to investigate an award by a licensed institution.
The university is as also challenging the procedure of conducting the inquiry, the order to release the personal information of the student to be transmitted to Prof Ntarangwi and excluding the university lawyers from such an inquiry.
