Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli has asked the High Court to intervene in his academic dispute with United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), seeking orders that could affect the institution's graduation ceremony scheduled for September 26, 2026.
Through lawyers Cecil Miller and Danstan Omari, Masengeli is seeking conservatory orders that would safeguard his position while the court considers his petition against the university. His lawyers told the court that the approaching graduation date made the matter urgent and asked for either interim orders or expedited timelines that would protect his interests.
Masengeli is pursuing a PhD in International Relations at USIU-Africa, having enrolled in September 2021. In his petition, he argues that he completed the coursework and examinations required under his programme before proceeding to the dissertation stage. His examination results for the coursework were approved by the university's Board of Examiners in August 2023.
The senior police officer says he later developed his dissertation proposal, addressed corrections required by the university and obtained the necessary approval before undertaking his research. He submitted his first dissertation draft to his supervisor on June 11, 2026, received feedback and subsequently submitted a revised version in July.
According to his court filings, Masengeli later established that reports from both internal and external examiners had reached the university by the end of August. He argues, however, that the results were not communicated to him and that he was not given sufficient clarity about what remained to be completed before graduation.
USIU-Africa has opposed his application. Through lawyer Chege Njoroge, the university told the court that Masengeli had not satisfied the academic requirements necessary for his name to appear on the graduation list. The institution also argued that stopping the graduation ceremony would affect other students who are scheduled to graduate.
The university said it had already responded to the petition and urged the court not to interfere with the graduation process. The disagreement therefore centres on whether Masengeli has completed the requirements necessary to progress towards graduation and whether the university properly administered and communicated the remaining stages of his doctoral programme.
Masengeli has maintained that he is not asking the High Court to assess the academic quality of his dissertation or award him a PhD. Instead, his petition challenges the administrative handling of his academic process and seeks clarity and timely determination of the outstanding requirements.
His petition also raises constitutional arguments, including the right to fair administrative action and the right to education. He wants the court to find that his academic process should have been administered fairly, transparently and within a reasonable period.
With USIU-Africa's graduation ceremony approaching, the court proceedings will determine whether any interim intervention is necessary while the substantive dispute between Masengeli and the university is resolved.
