In
2013, the issue of academic qualifications was trashed through a certain
provision of the law. Due to this, there are some MPs, Governors and County reps (MCAs)
who have very little education for the positions they hold.
The
law requiring certain academic requirements for specific posts did
not apply in
the 2013 contest because it was the first contest under the new constitution.
The
requirement for degrees in Kenya 2017 elections will mark the beginning of the enforcement
of section 22(1)(b) and section 22(2) of the Kenya Elections Act 2011. Under
the elections act, a candidate who does not meet the academic requirements will
be kicked out before the party nominations.
Section
2(a) of the Kenya Elections Act 2011 is what made the academic requirements not
to be enforced in the 2013 elections. Section 2(b) of the Act states; “For the
purposes of the first elections under the Constitution, section 22(1)(b) shall not apply save for the position of the president, deputy
president, the Governor and Deputy Governor.”
Now, what conditions does section 22 (1)(b) of the Kenya elections
act lay down? Well, section 22(1) requires that a candidate may be nominated
for elections if that person holds a certificate, diploma or other post-secondary
school qualification acquired after a period of at least three months study,
recognized by the relevant Ministry.
Who Should
Have a Degree?
The academic requirements that have been spelt out by section 22(1)(b)
does not apply for nomination of candidates for the election into the position
of;
- President.
- Deputy President.
- Governor.
- Deputy
Governor.
Who May Not Have a
Degree?
Well,
it is clear that for one to qualify for elections into any elective position in Kenya,
secondary school education is not sufficient. The only posts that one can vie for without having a university degree are as follows;
- Member of County Assembly (MCA).
- Member of National Assembly.
- Member of the Senate.
- Women’s representative.
For the above posts, what is required is post-secondary education in the form of
either of the following;
- Certificate.
- Diploma.
- Other
post-secondary school qualifications.
For the post secondary education, the qualification must have been acquired after a study lasting for a period of not less than three months.
A few loopholes
For the positions that require one to have post-secondary qualification, very few loopholes exist. First, all of those who will qualify for elections will be persons with at least a KCSE certificate. The KCSE certificate is an academic hurdle that many will not be able to jump over.
Information for aspirants
If you only have secondary school education and you wish to vie for a position then it is time for you to go back to school. There are many colleges which can offer you 3 months training and a certificate thereafter. What is important is that the college/ university must be registered with the relevant Ministry. The certificate/ diploma that the college/ university will award you must also be recognized by the Ministry.