The Commission for University Education (CUE) is set to launch investigations into the 118 Ph.D. degrees awarded to graduates by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
This comes after a public outcry over the unusually high number of doctor of philosophy degrees awarded to graduates during the institution’s 33rd graduation ceremony last Friday.
CUE said it will investigate the degrees after it emerged that one JKUAT professor allegedly supervised over 10 Ph.D. students in the School of Entrepreneurship, Procurement, and Management.
CUE requires one professor to supervise a maximum of three Ph.D. students per academic year.
Some of the journals where the Ph.D. students published their works have also been put to question.
On Tuesday, CUE chairman Chacha Nyaigoti said the commission will probe all aspects that led into the award of the PhDs.
“We are on the ground to look at these doctorates and we will take necessary action if we find that the law was not followed,” said Chacha.
Following the online outcry, JKUAT Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of academic affairs Prof. Robert Kinyua came out to defend the institution against claims of academic fraud.
“JKUAT takes great exception to the recent misleading and disparaging comments that could risk the careers and future of many young Kenyans who have received their education in the university,” he said.
Prof. Kinyua also stated that the institution met all the CUE’s requirements when awarding the degrees.
US-based Kenyan lawyer Prof. Makau Mutua was among those who raised questions over the credibility of the many Ph.D. degrees awarded by JKUAT.
“How credible are the 118 PhDs awarded by JKUAT? Either they are fake, or academic standards there are near zero. Let us end this academic fraud,” Prof. Mutua said on Twitter.
Nairobi lawyer Donald Kipkorir said: “JKUAT, as its name says, is University of Agriculture & Technology. But to graduate 118 PhDs when we don’t know from it of any innovation in both fields is a monumental scandal and should be closed. JKUAT should publish the titles of all the PhDs theses and names of the supervisors.”
Somebody needs to go to…
Somebody needs to go to prison over this. Revoke those fake PhD.
Kwanza, anzeni kuchunguza…
Kwanza, anzeni kuchunguza shahada ya uzamivu ya ndugu yetu Samoei Ruto. Huyu ndugu kweli alipata nafasi kutoka wapi ili afanye yote yanayohitajiwa unaposomea shahada ya uzamivu? Na kama alifanya hivyo, alitumia wakati wa kuwahudumia wananchi kwa manufaa yake mwenyewe.
Hapa Marekani, sijamwona mjumbe wa Congress yeyote akihudhuria masomo wakati anapotakiwa awe akiwahudumia wananchi waliomchagua ili aingie Congress.