Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has presented his education certificates for sale.
Taking to Twitter, the controversial MP alleges that in his quest to relieve his political colleagues the burden of getting degrees, Babu decided to trade his academic papers, both degrees, and diplomas at an affordable price.
This comes shortly after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati declared on Monday that the electoral body will not clear any candidate to vie for any elective or nominated seat in the upcoming 2022 general elections if they do not possess at least a degree certificate, sending shock waves across the political scene.
“Introduction of Degree as a condition to contest for positions in 2022 will be a challenge to many, as a result, I’m asking anyone without a degree certificate to buy one of my many Degrees. I have six Diplomas and four Degree certificates at an affordable price,” he tweeted.
“First-class honours in Actuarial science will cost you a leg, an arm plus a liver,” Babu said in conclusion.
Babu is however not the only legislator weighing in on the new directive since, yesterday, Deputy President William Ruto led efforts to save the political careers of the lawmakers who do not have university degrees.
Addressing MCAs from Baringo county at his Karen home, Ruto said he had directed all MPs allied to him to institute amendments to the law to remove the degree requirement for all elective and nominated positions.
“To say that MCAs should have the same qualifications as MPs and the same qualifications as members of the executive in county governance and same qualifications for president is not to be reasonable and, therefore, Parliament is already reconsidering Section 22 of the Elections Act so that we can remove what in my opinion is unreasonable so that we can have reasonable expectations of qualifications of all candidates,” Ruto said.
The information posted on the National Assembly website shows that more than 40 MPs fall short of the university degree requirement.
Some of those in this category include Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa, Jude Jomo (Kiambu Town), Junet Mohamed (Suna East), Abdulswamad, Imran Okoth (Kibra), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Jayne Kihara (Naivasha), and Samuel Arama (Nakuru Town West).
Others are George Theuri (Embakasi West), Aladwa, George Sunkuiya (Kajiado West), Ndirangu Waihenya (Roysambu) and Stephen Mule (Matungulu).
