On November 21, 2018, the Supreme Court struck out two affidavits from Kampala University officials that had been filed in support of Wajir Governor Abdi Mohamud’s claim that he studied there.
The documents had been sworn by founding vice chancellor Badru Katerega and academic registrar Hamza Ssegawa. Both said Mohamud was a student at the institution between 2009 and 2012.
The court’s decision came after Mohamud returned to the Supreme Court on October 14 with fresh material aimed at backing his position that he studied and graduated from Kampala University.
Chief Justice David Maraga and Supreme Court judges Mohamed Ibrahim, Jackton Ojwang’, Smokin Wanjala, Njoki Ndung’u and Isaac Lenaola had earlier allowed him to place his academic certificates before the court. They said he had not been given a fair hearing at the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
But the bench later noted that the two affidavits from the university had been filed outside the required time.
In his own affidavit, Mohamud attached an admission letter from Kampala University dated July 29, 2009. He also relied on affidavits from former classmates Ahmed Mohamed Isaack and Yussuf Shueb Abdullahi.
He further filed a sworn statement from Ssegawa confirming that he studied and graduated at the university. Another affidavit, from Evans Somoni, who served as academic registrar at the institution from 2005 to 2011, said the governor had been admitted as a student.
Mohamud also presented affidavits from lecturer James Nyakweba and former lecturer Wairimu Kiragu, both of whom said he attended their classes.
The dispute over the governor’s academic papers therefore remained tied to whether the new evidence could properly be admitted, and the court’s latest move removed two of the key supporting documents from the record.
