The debate on whether our MPs should have a degree to be elected has stirred controversy in a country where a majority of citizens are educated, but most do not have degrees.

All Kenyan presidential, gubernatorial  and Senate aspirants in the next General Election will be required to have degrees to run for office.

Those vying to sit in the County Assembly— save for the governor and his deputy —will also be required to have post-secondary education. The law prescribes that the Governor and the deputy must have degrees.

Results

This in effect implies that a number of the currently serving MPs who only hold secondary school qualifications and post-secondary diplomas will not vie in the next election, paving the way for their more qualified opponents come next year’s elections.

But is a degree crucial for sound leadership? History has shown that leadership may not require high academic qualifications such as degree or PHD. Example of leaders and innovators that have shaped the world, but did not have high academic qualifications include Bill Gates, former British Prime Minister John Major, and Apple founder, Steve Jobs.

For instance Steve Jobs — who passed away last year — was an American businessman, designer and inventor. He is best known as the co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. Through Apple, he was widely recognised as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution, and for his influential career in the computer and consumer electronics fields.

Jobs, who left behind estimated $8.3 billion (Sh7.055 trillion), used to dismiss people’s interest in his wealth.

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me ... Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful ... That’s what matters to me,” he once said.

Academically, he did not have lofty qualifications but he was successful nonetheless.

Flip side

On the flip side, academic qualifications are important when one is seeking a job. 

According to a Human Resource manager, both degree and Diploma holders are better workers than those with less academic qualifications.

“The nature of jobs today is such that academic qualifications are important,” Dominic Muteshi, HR Director at the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA) says.

“A diploma holder is better straight from college than a degree holder. However, after experience and exposure, the degree holder performs better on average than a diploma holder.”

Muteshi said due to the nature of training for a diploma holder, they have much exposure to the job than degree holders.

“Today’s universities take more students than they can handle, which makes it difficult to supervise and offer practical training. But Tertiary colleges, including Polytechnics , have more time and offer more practical lessons, making their graduates ready for the job market,” he explains.

But he insists that for leadership, degree holders perform better at managerial positions than those with less academic qualifications.

“Certificate holders may not perform to the same level as university graduates. Degree holders are better in understanding and they can offer better leadership,”

Politically, he reckons that academic ability must be accompanied by leadership skills inherent in the individual. But the debate is yet to dissipate, with the social media — including Facebook and Twitter — being awash with comments for and against the nee requirements.

KTN’s Reporter Frank Otieno posting on his Wall on Face Book wrote; “There should be no compromise about academic qualification for elected leaders in Kenya. Education is a must, and a degree as a requirement is not asking for too much. A degree holder is better in most aspects of job operation. If one hasn’t acquired it then it can only be fair that they do so, instead of spending negative energy trying to justify their leadership charisma without education.”

But others held a different opinion, blaming Kenya’s education system for not training people and furthering talent

 

“We should have degrees in carpentry, singing, crafting, and pottery and so on. It is only when we recognise talent and new skills in our education system that we will not care much whether the next president has a degree or not,” the anonymous person quipped.

By Luke Anami