BY NT CORRESPONDENT.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja now wants the chairman of Commission for University Education Chacha Nyaigoti jailed for contempt of court.
The legislator said in an application that Prof Nyaigoti should be arrested and jailed for six months over contempt of court for commenting on his academic papers while the matter was in court.
“The Court be pleased to commit Prof Chacha Nyaigoti-Chacha, the Contemnor to imprisonment for a period of six months at Kamiti Maximum Prison,” said Sakaja.
According to the Nairobi gubernatorial candidate, Prof Nayigoti addressed the media on June 17, 2022 at 7pm, Chacha, and said the statement he issued amounted to a mockery and contemptuous of the court’s order, which was served to the commission.
He said Prof Nyaigoti addressed the press conference in his capacity as the Chairman of the Board of CUE.
He said on June 20, Prof Nyaigoti released a signed press statement to all media houses, where he ostensibly made reference to Sakaja’s matter in contempt of the court orders.
The Senator said Prof Nyaigoti stated, “We want to let Sakaja know that the Commission for University Education is the only Institution mandated in law to recognize foreign earned degrees in order to allow IEBC to issue them with nomination to run as Governor, Deputy Governor, President or Deputy President. Any other method he wants to use will not stop us from fulfilling our mandate as provided for by the law. The Commission wants to reiterate that the revocation of his purported degree still stands”.
He said the chairman proceeded to issue a press statement in utter disregard of the orders of the court, blatantly and arrogantly stating that he will not obey the orders requiring him and the commission to maintain the status quo.
Sakaja said the statement in reiteration not only confirms Prof Nyaigoti’s contempt, disregard and disobedience of the court orders but it also amounts to a direct challenge and dare of the court’s authority.
Sakaja also accuses CUE chairman of summoning him in a bid to cosmetically and belatedly try to cure the defects of the process.
He said that unless he is cited and punished, Prof Nyaigoti will continue to ignore, demean, assume and belittle not only the court order but also the authority of the court.
“An order of the court is not a mere suggestion but rather a binding directive that is issued after ample judicial reflection and circumspection, hence the need for utmost compliance by all persons. The Contemnor herein is no exception,” Sakaja states.