[Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen at a past event. Photo/Courtesy]
Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen has expressed sympathies towards governor Hassan Joho following his KCSE grade that has sparked mixed reactions.
The Jubilee senator says voters should be the ones to determine who is fit for office but not one’s academic qualifications.
“I sympathise with governor Joho and many other leaders I know who are struggling to fit into the legal requirements for elective state offices. I totally agree that academic success is not the only measure for success in life,” Murkomen posted oh his social media account.
“I know in Kenya a person who scores a D- cannot even qualify to serve in any sector of our armed forces. I have argued before that those who want to be elected to office should have the academic qualifications determined by the voters,” he added, Wednesday.
The legislature argued that an academic paper denies capable leaders who do not have the required qualifications a chance to offer their leadership.
“My argument is that the voter is wiser and knows that he wants. The same applies to those serving in the armed forces. I don't think academic qualifications should stop the armed forces from hiring energetic and talented young men/women, who although may not have academic papers, are ready to make sacrifices for their country. In any case the bandits terrorizing everyone in Kerio Valley have zero academic qualifications,” the senator noted.
“The legal requirements for elective offices are forcing many people running for offices to commit many crimes just to get the chance to exercise their dreams. This is wrong. I already argued in the Senate that the law be amended. Many of colleagues didn't agree but with time we must do so,” he added.
He however cautioned the embattled governor he might legal face action if he did not follow the right procedure to join university.
“Having said that, it's impossible to imagine that our brother Joho was admitted to any university with a D-. The reality of his public confession is that unless he later repeated form four and worked on his grade, then he didn't have academic qualifications to join any Univeristy. What follows will be a legal conundrum.”
The constitution stipulates that the president and governors are required to have degrees for them to qualify vying for office.