Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli/ FILEDeputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli has moved to the High Court seeking orders compelling the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) to include him in the final graduation list after a dispute over the processing of his PhD dissertation.
Masengeli, who is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations, claims the university has allegedly delayed releasing his dissertation results and facilitating the next stage of his academic process despite having completed the requirements communicated to him.
In a petition filed before High Court Judge David Mburu, Masengeli through lawyer Cecil Miller asked the court to declare that he had satisfactorily completed the requirements for conferment of a PhD in International Relations and should be included in the university's graduation list for September 26, 2026.
He also wants the court to declare that USIU's conduct has frustrated his legitimate expectation of a fair, transparent, orderly and timely administration of his academic process.
Masengeli said he was admitted to USIU's School of Humanities and Social Sciences in September 2021 for the five-year doctoral programme, with his cohort scheduled to graduate in September 2026.
According to the petition, he completed the requisite coursework and examinations, with his results approved by the university's Board of Examiners in August 2023. He then proceeded to the dissertation stage of the programme.
Masengeli said he selected his dissertation topic during a seminar on January 18, 2024, and was assigned an internal supervisor.
He says he submitted his final dissertation proposal on May 30, 2025, but argues it was only approved for defence on December 15, 2025, despite his repeated follow-ups.
After receiving approval, he contends he addressed the corrections and other requirements communicated to him before the corrected proposal was forwarded to the relevant Institutional Review Board.
The petitioner said he subsequently received the necessary approval and completed his fieldwork in about two weeks.
On June 11, 2026, Masengeli states he submitted the first draft of his dissertation to his internal supervisor for review.
In his court papers, the DIG states that he received feedback on his first dissertation draft in late June, which he addressed before proceeding with the next stage of the process.
He says he submitted a second dissertation draft on July 14, 2026, which was acknowledged by the internal supervisor two days later and indicated that he would revert after reviewing it.
The dispute arose after Masengeli followed up on the progress of his dissertation examination.
He claims that by August 31, he had established that both the internal and external examiners had submitted their results, but the results had not been transmitted to him.
Concerned that the delay could prevent him from appearing on the graduation list, Masengeli claims he issued the institution with a formal demand on August 25 seeking clarity on the status of his academic process.
The university, he claims, responded on September 3, stating that there were “mandatory requirements” and “pending next steps” in his academic process and that the matter had been referred to the Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies, for “immediate attention.”
Masengeli argues that the response was unsatisfactory because, according to him, he had complied with all the requirements set by the university.
“The respondent's conduct of failure to release the results and facilitate the petitioner's public defence of the dissertation is particularly prejudicial,” the petition states.
He says USIU's final graduation list was expected to be prepared by September 11, while the graduation ceremony was scheduled for September 26.
Masengeli argues that unless the university is compelled to release his dissertation results and progress his academic process, he faces an “immediate and continuing” risk of being excluded from the graduation.
He has alleged violations of his constitutional right to fair administrative action under Article 47 over alleged failure to administer his academic and examination process in an expeditious, efficient, lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair manner.
He also argues that the delay threatens his right to education under Article 43(1)(f) of the Constitution.
Masengeli has, however, clarified that his case does not ask the court to substitute its judgment for that of the university on academic matters.
Instead, he wants the court to ensure that USIU administers its academic process lawfully, fairly, transparently and within a reasonable time.
He is seeking declarations on the completion of his PhD requirements, his inclusion in the September 26 graduation list and the alleged violation of his constitutional rights, as well as costs of the petition and any other orders the court may deem appropriate.
