Report pins Kampala University officials in Joho saga

By Steven Candia

A police probe into the Kampala University (KU) degree awarded to Ali Joho, the Governor of Mombasa, has raised more questions about its authenticity.

The report by the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate (CIID) said the university and the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) were cagey and reluctant to cooperate, raised doubt about whether the embattled Kenyan politician authentically acquired the award.

The report has been forwarded to the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP). In it ,there is a recommendation that NCHE avails all information necessary for the conclusion of the probe, while the university should cooperate by providing information to prove that Joho went through all the necessary processes to acquire the degree.

“The Director of Public Prosecutions should evaluate the assembled evidence to enable him to form an opinion as to whether there are any criminal acts by Kampala University officials, NCHE and Hassan Ali Joho during the commission of the offence…,” reads the report compiled by a team of senior detectives, headed by the director CIID, Grace Akullo.

Last March, on the instructions of the NCHE, the CIID instituted a probe into the alleged fraudulent acquisition, of a bachelor of business administration (human resource management option) degree by Joho from the university without going through due process. The degree has been contested in Kenyan courts and has now spilled over into Uganda.

According to documents that New Vision has seen, the report was forwarded to the DPP on February 7 and copied to the Inspector General of Police, as well as the Inspector General of Government. A copy of the report was also submitted to the chairman NCHE, Prof. Nyeko Pen-Mogi.

The report singles out at top university officials, including Prof. Badru Kateregga and the legal officer, John Kabagambe, for refusing to avail documents, shielding staff or declining to make statements.