Last week the IEBC chairman announced that only genuine degree holders would be able to stand in the August 2022 elections.
Over 100 MPs and over 600 MCA are likely to be disqualified by the decision of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. Previously the law was only enforced for the President and governors.
Now Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen is drafting a bill to amend the Elections Act to remove the requirements that all holders of elective political office should have university degrees.
One can argue that our leaders need to be well-educated because they are making complex decisions that affect the wellbeing of the whole nation.
Alternatively, one can argue that a candidate can have great intelligence and experience yet not have a university degree. Would anyone say that Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are not fit to stand for the US Congress because they do not have university degrees?
At the end of the day, we should trust to the wisdom of the electorate. They know best. Let the voter decide whether someone will be a good decision maker - with or without a degree.
Quote of the day: "Bad governance doesn’t just undermine service delivery, it retards development, and it also drives violence."
Quett Masire
The second Botswanan president died on June 22, 2017
