Kenyan based, MOI University has launched an investigation into the academic papers of a prominent Somali Minister. An official in the registrar office of Moi University has confirmed that they received allegations of fraud and false papers used by Minister Gamal Mohamed Hassan to get admission to the university for a master’s degree course.
He said Minister Gamal, who holds the Planning portfolio for the government of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, graduated from MOI University in December 2015 (31st Graduation) with MASTER OF ARTS IN DIPLOMACY AND FOREIGN POLICY (EXECUTIVE). He said the allegations they received indicate that the minister had not submitted genuine papers of his undergraduate or lied about his educational back ground upon seeking his admission for the master’s degree. The registrar official said according to Kenyan laws anyone who obtains academic papers or degree with false background for admission gets disqualified and his papers nullified immediately. The officer said the investigation is underway and once its completed the university will either uphold or disqualify the master’s degree of the minister depending the outcome. The registrar office is in contact with educations institutions in Canada where Minister Gamal claimed to have completed his bachelor’s Degree. Some reports say the Minister had only been awarded with a diploma in Canada but was unlawfully claiming to have finished his bachelor studies in politics.
The Kenyan education sector has been going through a massive overhaul of reforms started when Fred Matiangi (current Security Minister) was holding the education portfolio.
In January 2017, Kenyan government issued universities audit report in which Executive degree programs have been suspended and Education Minister at the time Matiag’i announced that individuals who graduated from such programs will have their papers recalled. Minister Gamal is one of those who obtained such degrees called as Executive masters.
Already Kenyan government said those who gained admission to PhD classes using executive degree papers have been barred from teaching in Kenyan universities.
The report prepared by Kenyan Commission for University Education (CUE), also revealed that some universities breached admissions standards, by admitting students based on age, while others were admitted to masters degrees without bachelor’s degrees.
In 2007, the University of Nairobi took a drastic move and deregistered Meru Senator Mithika Linturi as a law student for allegedly presenting fake papers to get admission. According to UoN’s Senate, the decision to deregister Linturi came after investigations revealed that the degree from a university in India he used to secure admission at the University of Nairobi was forged.
This has also made the education authorities to notify the Director of Criminal Investigation to take action accordingly.
Prior to his appointment as minister, Gamal Hassan served as Somali Ambassador Kenya, and might have used these controversial papers to Kenyan government when he presented his credentials to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
