The Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has sued Murang’a University of Technology and Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa in a fresh High Court case challenging the lawmaker’s academic credentials and the processes leading to the award of his latest academic qualifications.
The petition, filed at the Milimani High Court in Nairobi, comes weeks after Barasa officially announced that he had completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Administration at Murang’a University of Technology and was awaiting graduation on June 23.
On July 28, Justice Gregory Mutai issued directions requiring the petition and accompanying application to be served upon the respondents and interested parties before the matter returns to court on October 9 for further directions.
The matter has been filed as Constitutional and Human Rights Petition No. E498 of 2026, with COFEK named as the petitioner and Murang’a University of Technology alongside Barasa listed as respondents.
Didmus Barasa’s Controversial Credentials
The case stems from a controversy that erupted in June after Barasa declared that he had successfully completed his doctoral studies at the public university.
In a social media post, the legislator announced that his “doctorate journey” at Murang’a University of Technology was complete and attached a letter from the institution’s Directorate of Postgraduate Studies confirming that he had fulfilled the requirements for the award of a Doctorate in Public Administration.
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According to the letter, Barasa had successfully completed fieldwork and defended a thesis titled Branding Strategies by County Governments on Service Delivery among Small and Medium Enterprises in Bungoma County, Kenya.
The announcement quickly drew scrutiny from members of the public, education stakeholders, and political leaders, with questions emerging about the authenticity and progression of some of the MP’s academic qualifications.
The controversy intensified after former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati publicly questioned the academic claims made by the legislator, triggering a wider public debate over the legitimacy of the qualifications and the university’s verification processes.
COFEK later wrote to the Commission for University Education (CUE) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), calling for investigations into Barasa’s academic credentials.
The consumer lobby argued that concerns surrounding the MP’s educational background warranted independent verification by regulators and investigators to establish the credibility of the qualifications in question.
Conflicting Academic Records Fuel Questions
At the center of the debate are varying academic profiles attributed to the legislator over the years.
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Parliament indicates that Barasa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration, a Master of Arts in Public Administration and Management, and a Graduate Diploma in Project Management from Mount Kenya University.
However, neither Murang’a University nor Barasa had publicly admitted any wrongdoing regarding the qualifications.
Barasa has consistently defended his academic credentials and previously dismissed allegations touching on his educational background, maintaining that he lawfully obtained his qualifications.
The university has also previously communicated that the MP had fulfilled the requirements for the doctoral award following the successful completion and defense of his thesis.
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