Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli has taken legal action against the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) by moving to the High Court. He is seeking judicial intervention to compel the university to release his PhD dissertation results and include his name in the list of students set to graduate this month. Masengeli enrolled in the PhD program in International Relations at USIU-Africa in September 2021 and has since been diligently working towards completing his degree.
According to Masengeli, he submitted his dissertation on June 11, 2026, after which he incorporated feedback from his academic supervisors to refine his work. By August 31, both internal and external examiners had reportedly submitted their evaluations of his dissertation to the university. Despite these submissions, Masengeli claims that he has not been informed of the outcome of these evaluations or any additional requirements needed to fulfill his academic obligations.
In his petition, filed through his lawyer Cecil Miller, Masengeli expressed frustration over the lack of communication from the university. He stated that he had reached out to USIU-Africa seeking clarification on the status of his dissertation and the steps remaining for the completion of his PhD. However, the university's response was vague, indicating that there were mandatory requirements and pending steps, but failing to specify what these were or to provide the examination results.
Masengeli argues that this delay jeopardizes his opportunity to graduate this month, despite having completed all the necessary stages of his PhD program. He emphasized that he is not requesting the court to award him the degree or to evaluate his research. Instead, he seeks a court order compelling the university to clarify and expedite the remaining academic processes required for his graduation.
The case was presented before Justice David Mburu on September 9 and was certified as urgent, highlighting the pressing nature of the matter given the impending graduation ceremony. The court has instructed USIU-Africa to respond to Masengeli's petition within three days from the date of service, underscoring the urgency of resolving the issue promptly.
This case underscores the challenges that can arise in academic institutions regarding communication and the processing of academic results, especially for students who are on the cusp of completing their studies. The outcome of this legal battle could set a precedent for how universities handle similar disputes in the future.
