Days after the award of honorary degrees for Members of Parliament (MPs) Oscar Sudi, Didmus Barasa, and John Waluke by Northwestern Christian University-Kenya, the Commission for University Education (CUE) has cautioned Kenyans over the issuance of degrees by the university.
In a statement on Tuesday, December 24, CUE Chief Executive Officer Prof. Mike Kuria disclosed that the institution is not accredited and therefore any credentials it offers will are not recognized in the country.
The CEO revealed that the fact that Northwestern Christian University is unaccredited was brought to public attention by the Commission in a newspaper advert published in June 2023.
“The Commission has taken note of widely circulating media reports on purported issuance of honorary doctorates in Kenya by an entity going by the name Northwestern Christian University. The Commission wishes to inform the public that the entity operating in Kenya by the name Northwestern Christian University is an unaccredited institution,” part of the statement reads.
It adds, “It was made explicitly clear that the institution was not accredited to offer any university education in Kenya and that any purported credentials issued would not be recognized in Kenya.”
The CUE boss further disclosed that the commission is currently investigating circumstances surrounding the award of degrees by the institution and assured that it would take appropriate action.
Northwestern Christian University is not accredited in Kenya-CUE
According to the commission, it shall thereafter take appropriate legal measures where applicable against Northwestern Christian University.
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In the statement, CUE advised members of the public that the list of accredited universities and the programmes on offer can be accessed through https://cue.or.ke/index.php/status-of-universities or through direct consultation.
The statement by CUE comes days after the controversial conferment of an Honorary degrees to lawmakers Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), John Waluke (Sirisia) and Didmus Barasa (Kimilili) from Northwestern Christian University which sparked an uproar from professional bodies.
Sudi conferred with Honorary Doctorate degree
Sudi was up and about on December 21, hours after his controversial conferment of an Honorary Doctorate in Leadership Administration and Management from the American university at the Eldoret National Polytechnic.
“Had I listened to people calling me names saying that I am not educated, I would have failed. I have worked hard by going to school and I have become an engineer. And I have gone ahead to study until I attained Doctorate,” the Kapsaret lawmaker said.
He added, “”I wish I had come with my certificate so that you see a list of what I have studied. Now I am a doctor. Those who used to call the President Dr. Ruto, I am now a Doctor like Ruto.”
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The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) has since directed the Northwestern Christian University to immediately recall Sudi’s Honorary Doctorate Degree whose certificate was issued with the ‘Engineer’ title during the university’s 17th graduation ceremony.
EBK says the title “engineer” is protected by law, and its use without proper academic process is punishable by law. The body further argues that Sudi’s conferment with the title undermines the integrity of the engineering profession.
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university waives the usual requirements and awards individuals for exceptional contributions to society.
It transcends formal education and is an appreciation of outstanding accomplishments in different spheres.
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