MPs divided, sharply exchange over degree-role debate as Joho looks on

By Lazarus Maitha

A section of Mombasa leaders, including MPs and area senator, on Thursday, January 23, differed sharply on the importance of a bachelor’s degree when it comes to county leadership.

The MPs, including Ali Mbogo (Kisauni), Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe), Abdulswamad Nassir (Mvita), Mishi Mboko (Likoni) and Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki, were among the leaders who debated on whether a degree should be mandatory for all gubernatorial candidates in the 2022 general election.

The leaders spoke at the Tononoka Grounds, where area Governor Ali Joho presided over the issuing of cheques worth Ksh100 million to college and university students in Mombasa.

Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo was the first to spark the degree role-debate, when he said, during his address, that “no politician in Mombasa interested in the governor’s seat, should be allowed to contest without being a holder of a bachelor’s degree”.

Mbogo, who is interested in succeeding Joho, said “a governor should be educated to, at least, a bachelor’s degree-level if he or she wants to be effective for the county top seat”.

“Those who want to run for [Mombasa] governor seat in 2022, must have a degree. If money is the problem, then you can visit Joho’s office or my office, and we will sponsor your education,” he said.

Mbogo’s remarks were echoed by his Changamwe counterpart, Omar Mwinyi.

“It is not only governors who should be restricted to possessing at least a bachelor’s degree, even MPs, MCAs and Woman Reps should have the qualification before they are allowed to present their candidature for such seats,” said Mwinyi.

Mbogo and Mwinyi’s schools of thought were challenged by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir and his Likoni counterpart, Mishi Mboko.

Nassir said “despite Joho being accused of lacking proper education, he showed leadership in running Mombasa County affairs”.

“Hasn’t Joho proven to us that high levels of education do not necessarily translate to good leadership skills?” posed Nassir.

Likoni MP Mishi Mboko said Joho soldiered on despite “being ridiculed unfairly that he lacked a university degree”.

Mboko, however, said “education is power, nonetheless”.

Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki declined to comment on the degree-role debate, saying “he was above such discussions”.

When Joho rose to speak, he gave the education debate a wide berth, going ahead to issue the cheques to deserving college-going students.

Joho, who scored a D- (Minus) in KCSE 1993, in May 2017, revealed how he climbed up the education ladder to possess a bachelor’s degree in 2013.

In his affidavit dated May 25, 2017, Joho said he enrolled for a pre-university course at Kampala University that allowed him to take a certificate course after attaining a mean grade of D- (Minus) in the 1993 KCSE exam.

In 2008, he pursued and obtained a certificate course in business administration, paving the way for him to enroll for a diploma course in human resource management in the same university in 2009.

“Having satisfied the requirements prescribed by the Senate for the award of degree of bachelor of business administration, I was admitted to the degree on February 28, 2013,” he stated.