DIG Masengeli denied PhD by USIU, asks court to stop graduation

A court battle has erupted between United States International University (USIU) and Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli.

Masengeli, a student at the international higher learning institution, has moved to court, claiming he was defending his dissertation in preparation for a doctoral degree despite completing his coursework and obtaining the necessary approvals from the board.

“The respondent's conduct of failure to release the results and facilitate the Petitioner's public defence of the dissertation is particularly prejudicial because the Respondent's final graduation list is expected to be prepared on or before 11 September 2026, while the respondent's graduation ceremony is scheduled for 26 September 2026,’ argued Masengeli.

In his case filed before High Court Judge David Mburu, Masengeli said he joined the university around September 2021 to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations (IR) at the institution’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

He further said that the course required five years of classes, with expected graduation in September this year.

“The petitioner completed the required coursework and examinations, and the respondent’s board approved his results of examiners in or about August 2023, whereof he proceeded with the dissertation stage of his program,” the court heard.

The senior police officer stated that he was assigned a supervisor on July 18, 2024, and he submitted his final proposal on May 30 the following year.

He said that it went through the process, and thereafter he went out for fieldwork, which he completed within two weeks.

Masengeli narrated that he submitted his first draft on June 11 this year. He added that his internal supervisor responded within 14 days and the second supervisor three days after the internal one, and he addressed.

“The petitioner submitted his second dissertation draft on July 14, 2026. His internal supervisor acknowledged receipt on July 16, 2026 and indicated that he would revert after reviewing the draft,” he said, adding that a follow-up showed that the results had allegedly been received from the two examiners.

According to the court case, Masengeli’s point of departure with USIU was that the school had allegedly not submitted his results.

He stated that, out of concern that the time was running out, he allegedly sought an explanation for the alleged delay.

Masengeli told the court that the response was that there were mandatory requirements and pending next steps in his academic process, and the issue had been referred to the associate dean in the School of Graduate Studies for immediate action.

“The respondent’s conduct has consequently subjected the petitioner to continuing uncertainty regarding the status of his academic progression at a stage when the dissertation has already proceeded through examination and the remaining process, ought to at very least be capable of being identified and communicated,” he continued.

He argued that the institution had acted against his expectations to graduate in time and further allegedly frustrated his academic process.

The officer also argued that it had allegedly failed to give him a fair, transparent and consistent administrative process within a reasonable time to enable him to graduate on September 26, 2026.

He said that his issue was not about an award of the PhD or an entitlement to an automatic process, but questions of alleged administrative delays which he argued have put a barrier, blocking his graduation.

“I am therefore faced with an unresolved academic process while at the same time, the respondent’s graduation ceremony is scheduled for September 26, 2026.  I verily believe that if the respondent proceeds with the graduation before the issues raised in my petition are heard and determined, my position in the September 2026 graduation cycle may be irreversibly prejudiced,” he argued.

He asserted that he was not asking the court to rule on the merits of his dissertation or force USIU to award him a PhD without complying with the law. Instead, he wants the court to freeze the graduation ceremony for the court to determine if the higher learning institution had lawfully administered the academic and examination process.

“Unless the respondent is restrained from proceeding with the graduation ceremony scheduled on September 26, 2026, the subject matter of my petition may be overtaken by events before the court has had an opportunity to determine whether the respondent’s conduct has violated my constitutional rights,” he argued.

The case will be mentioned before Justice Patricia Nyaundi