Didmus Barasa Breaks Silence After JKUAT Disowns His ‘Engineering’ Degree

Collage photo showing Didmus Barasa graduating with his PhD from Murang'a university and gate of JKUAT . Photo/ File

Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has broken his silence after Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) said it had no record of him as a student and did not award him an engineering degree.

Barasa responded in a Facebook statement on Thursday, September 17, saying he had now attained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Administration from Murang’a University of Technology.

His response came after JKUAT told the Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) that Barasa’s name does not appear in its student or alumni records and that a Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering certificate attributed to the university was not genuine.

The university also said it did not hold a graduation ceremony in May 2008; the date indicated on the disputed certificate.

Barasa turns focus to his PhD

Rather than directly addressing the JKUAT records in his Facebook post, Barasa focused on his latest academic achievement, announcing himself as the new doctor in town.

“Be informed that I am now the new doctor in town — Didmus Wekesa Barasa, PhD, CBS, MP,” he wrote.

He also explained how he wanted his academic title presented, saying his name should be written either as Didmus Wekesa Barasa, PhD or Dr Didmus Barasa.

Also Read: FACT CHECK: JKUAT Addresses Didmus Barasa’s Engineering Degree Claim

Barasa went on to describe doctoral research as a response to an identified problem, saying his own study was driven by what he termed a profound gap in Bungoma County.

“A PhD is not merely the title of an academic programme; it is the scholarly response to an identified research gap,” he said.

He added that he had spent time researching while critics focused on questions surrounding his academic journey.

“While you were preoccupied with idle gossip and political yapping, I was in the library conducting rigorous research to proffer sustainable solutions to Bungoma’s socio-economic challenges,” Barasa wrote.

JKUAT Denies Awarding Barasa Engineering Degree

In a letter dated September 14, the university said his name does not appear in its student or alumni records and that it did not hold a graduation ceremony on the date shown on the disputed certificate.

JKUAT Registrar of Academic Affairs Dr. Aggrey Wanyama said the Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering certificate attributed to Barasa was therefore not genuine.

The university further said its findings had previously been communicated to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK).

The issue has since raised questions about conflicting accounts of Barasa’s academic history.

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An older parliamentary profile listed him as having studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering at JKUAT, while the current profile lists a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Mount Kenya University.

Barasa has now given his own account, saying he holds a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Kenya University and a PhD in Public Administration from Murang’a University.

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