On Wednesday, November 21, 2018, the Supreme Court was urged to dismiss Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi Mohamud’s appeal after lawyers told the bench he had not produced evidence showing he holds a degree.
Senior Counsel James Orengo, appearing for Ahmed Muhumed Abdi, argued that it remained unclear whether Mr Mohamud ever attended classes at Kampala University or graduated as he claimed. He warned the court that it should be cautious, saying, “The court has to tread carefully because you might end up conferring a degree upon somebody who does not qualify.”
Mr Mohamud had moved to the apex court after the High Court and the Court of Appeal found that he was not validly elected because he did not have a degree. The dispute has centred on whether he met the academic requirements for the Wajir governorship.
Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi, acting for former governor Ahmed Abdullahi Mohamed, backed the challenge and cautioned against “elevating the question of a university degree into a constitutional issue”.
Chief Justice David Maraga and justices Mohamed Ibrahim, J.B. Ojwang’, Smokin Wanjala, Njoki Ndung’u and Isaac Lenaola said they would deliver their judgment on notice.
