Editor's Review

The university added that the Kimilili MP was not a student at the institution.

The Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology has denied awarding Kimilili Member of Parliament (MP) Didmus Barasa a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

In a letter dated Monday, September 14, JKUAT Registrar, Academic Affairs Dr Aggrey Wanyama, wrote to the Consumers Federation of Kenya to confirm that the degree certificate presented by Barasa is not from the institution.

The university added that the Kimilili MP was not a student at the institution, nor did he appear in the graduation book in the year he purported to have graduated.

"We have established that Hon Didmus Wekesa Barasa was not a student at JKUAT. His name does not appear in our alumni records, and JKUAT did not have any graduation in May 2008.

"His certificate for the Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering programme is therefore NOT GENUINE," the letter read.

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A file photo of Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa.

Wanyama added that JKUAT had written to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), who were investigating the authenticity of the document.

COFEK questioned how the MP still presented himself as an engineer if the two institutions had knowledge that his degree certificate was fake.

"If EBK had this on record, how does an MP sitting in Parliament on the strength of a fabricated engineering degree still carry professional recognition? Either EBK acted on it, and the public deserves to know, or it sat on a confirmed forgery," the Federation posed.

COFEK argued that a forged certificate is fraud, and that the MP should be charged for using it to access elective office and professional standing.

Earlier, JKUAT made headlines after Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna was denied entry into its Karen Campus, where he was invited to attend their  Inaugural Law, Policy and Governance forum, but the Administration has abruptly.

Sifuna expressed his displeasure over the decision, describing the cancellation as unnecessary and uncalled for.

"We came to JKUAT Karen on the invitation of the student leadership for their Inaugural Law, Policy and Governance forum, but the Administration has abruptly 'cancelled' the event and denied us access to the institution. Totally uncalled for," he wrote.