Moi University students move to court over graduation

Graduands attend Moi University's graduation ceremony in Uasin Gishu on December 21, 2017. Some students from the School of Information Sciences have moved to court after finding their names missing in the graduation list. FILE PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The graduation is slated for next week but the students say they have tried in vain to have their names included, hence their application seeking the court’s intervention.

Moi University has been dragged to court after some of its students failed to make it to the graduation list despite having satisfied all the requirements.

The graduation is slated for next week but the students say they have tried in vain to have their names included, hence their application seeking the court’s intervention.

They want the High Court to order the institution to include their names in the graduation list.

The students were admitted to Moi University's School of Information Sciences, in various dates between 2015 and 2016 and according to the varsity’s schedule of studies, they ought to have graduated in December of 2018. This is also the date their students’ cards expired.

Unfortunately, the lecturers’ strikes at the university, which was unforeseen, saw the graduation pushed to August 22, 2019. Indeed, some of the students from the same class are listed to graduate but the petitioners are not.

They are Violet Ombaka Atieno, Obegi Malak Ochweri, Ndirangu Tabitha, Verah Shawiza Manyonyi, Maureen Kwamboka, Yvonne Akhago Buluma, Omondi Linda Akinyi, John Kamau Muthoni, Sarah Karanja Wanjiku, Jakoyo Paullete Akinyi, Ruth Wamboi Mwangi, Karanja Susan Waithira, and Patience Mbithi Kamutu.

“We paid our university fees as and when required, sat for the exams as and when required and handed in our project work by the deadline set. We therefore only waited to see our names in the list of graduands scheduled to graduate on August 22, 2019,” petitioners said in court papers.

In June, this year, the students say they learnt that they had missing marks in one of the units and sought the institution’s intervention without success.

The Ministry of Education’s intervened and the missing marks were released on July 22, which was also reflected on the students’ portals.

They were however dumbfounded to learn that their names were not in the graduation list which was made public on July 25.

“We frantically tried to get in touch with the University administration, and we were assured that we will be included in the official list to be release on August 2,” petitioners.

Even after the promise, they still found their names missing and that the final list was a duplicate of the July, 2019 list. They have tried in vain to be included in the list.