Celebrations over Mombasa County Assembly Clerk Salim Juma’s reported PhD graduation have been thrown into doubt after the University of Nairobi said his name does not appear on the list of graduands for its September 18 ceremony.
The controversy emerged after Mombasa County Assembly Speaker Aharub Khatri congratulated Juma on Friday, describing the reported achievement as a milestone in his academic and professional journey.
Khatri praised his commitment to scholarship and public service, describing the achievement as the result of “late nights, relentless discipline and an unshakable belief that leadership is at its best when anchored in knowledge”.
The Assembly also issued a congratulatory message and referred to Juma as “Dr Juma”.
The University of Nairobi, however, disputed the information circulating about its 75th graduation ceremony, publishing a “False Information Notice” on its social media platforms and advising the public to verify graduands against its official list. The university also shared an image of Juma indicating that he was not among those graduating on September 18.
“Graduands, parents, guardians and the public are advised to confirm names against the official University of Nairobi list. Do not rely on the circulating Facebook post as a source of verification,” the university stated. UoN Director of Corporate Affairs John Orindi also disputed the reported graduation, saying, “Dr Salim Juma was not on the University of Nairobi graduands list.”
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Juma, however, maintains that he graduated and said he was surprised by the university’s statement. He said he had seen the university’s social media post and planned to visit the institution to establish what had happened.
“I equally saw the post on social media, I am surprised. I’m currently in Nairobi and I am planning to go to the university on Monday to seek clarity. I don’t understand what is happening. I am following the matter with the university. The university has not told me anything. But I graduated,” he said.
The dispute has brought renewed attention to the academic credentials listed by public officials and other prominent figures, following a series of recent cases in which universities have publicly challenged claims about qualifications attributed to individuals.
However, in Juma’s case, there is currently a disagreement between his account and the university’s published graduation records, rather than a confirmed finding that he falsely claimed the qualification.
Juma’s LinkedIn profile lists a Bachelor of Arts degree from Egerton University, a Master of Business Administration from Kenya Methodist University and a Senior Management Course from the Kenya School of Government in Matuga.
It also lists a PhD from the University of Nairobi, which is now at the centre of the dispute. Juma has served as Clerk of the Mombasa County Assembly since 2015. Official records from the Assembly also identify him as the Clerk, including recent Assembly documents.
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