The High Court in Kenya has declined to block the graduation ceremony at United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), according to the-star.co.ke. The ruling came after Deputy Inspector General of Police Masengeli sought court orders to stop the event, Citizen Digital reported.
The decision, delivered on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, clears the way for the university's graduation to proceed as scheduled. The case had drawn attention because Masengeli is reportedly a doctoral candidate at the institution.
According to Education News, Masengeli's dissertation has not yet cleared the university's internal review process and therefore cannot proceed to defence. The Kenya Times reported that this unresolved academic step could prevent him from participating in the graduation despite having completed his PhD coursework.
The court's refusal to intervene means the ceremony will not be halted on account of the pending suit. The legal action had raised questions about whether a court could interfere with a university's academic procedures, but the High Court declined to issue the orders sought.
The matter remains before the university's internal academic channels, where the status of Masengeli's dissertation will be determined. It is not clear from the reporting whether the court provided reasons for its decision or whether Masengeli intends to pursue further legal action.
What to watch next: whether USIU-Africa's internal review concludes before any future graduation cycle, and whether Masengeli files an appeal or takes other legal steps.