Aggrieved students fail to block University of Eldoret graduation
An attempt by some students of the University of Eldoret to block the institution’s fourth graduation ceremony on Friday through a court petition failed.
Mr Mong’eri Onwonga and hundreds of other students from the university presented a petition at the Eldoret High Court under the certificate of urgency seeking to stop the graduation ceremony alleging that they had been wrongfully left out of the graduation list.
In the application dated November 24, which was certified as urgent by Justice George Kimondo, the students claimed that they had complied with all the University requirements to deserve graduation but had not been included in the final list for the conferment of the academic awards.
UNJUSTIFIABLE
In his ruling on the matter Justice Kimondo said in the interest of justice and fair administration the court cannot micro-manage the University affairs but noted the application was brought to the court at the eleventh hour.
“I rule against prayer B in the matter to stop the graduation until this case is heard and determined because the issue has been filed a day to the graduation date, stopping this ceremony with consideration of the planning and resources put in by the institution to ensure it occurs successfully will be extremely unjustifiable,” read justice Kimondo.
He added that stopping the graduation would also prejudice other students who had no grievances with the university from graduating.
“The University is therefore ordered to make arrangements to include all students that have completed the academic and financial criteria and have no pending disciplinary issues within the set deadlines in the graduating list,” said Kimondo.
The matter will come up for inter-parte hearing on December 13 before the same court.
