Nairobi — The predicament facing Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja over the authenticity of his university degree lessened on Wednesday after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) dismissed the Commission for University Education (CUE) letter that had revoked the recognition of his degree certificate.

The Commission's Dispute Resolution Committee in its ruling held that the validity of Sakaja's degree should be maintained pending the hearing of a substantive motion.

While the status quo remains, the electoral body was "prohibited from striking Sakaja's name from the list of cleared gubernatorial candidates for the Nairobi County seat".

The ruling came as a relief to the Nairobi Senator who has sets his sights to succeeding the incumbent city Governor Ann Kananu in the August polls.

Three complaints which were lodged against Sakaja challenging the validity of his university credentials were also dismissed.

The Dispute Tribunal threw out the petitions after the three complainants who filed the petitions failed to appear before the panel.

Sakaja who continues to mount a spirited defense to prove that he graduated from the Teams University in Uganda on Wednesday blamed President Uhuru Kenyatta for how woes.

He alleged that the Head of State was behind the revocation of his university degree certificate.

"The purpoted revocation of my credentials is null and void and is politically instigated," he wrote on his Facebook adding that President Kenyatta had coerced the Chairman of CUE Professor Chacha Nyaigotti Chacha to revoke his degree.

The tribunal will issue further directions on the matter on June 22, 2022.