The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Northwestern Christian University, the institution that granted Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi an honorary doctorate in December 2024, is facing intense scrutiny following the arrest of two of its officials for allegedly operating an unaccredited institution.
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The arrests were made by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) during a graduation ceremony at Wild Waters in Nyali.
The DCI reported that Chancellor Moses Masiga and Vice-Chancellor Jackson Khayamba were apprehended while distributing degrees from an institution lacking official accreditation.
A complaint to the Commission for University Education (CUE) led to the swift investigation, revealing the university’s involvement in offering fake degrees. Detectives disrupted the graduation event just as unsuspecting graduates were about to receive fraudulent certificates.
At the scene, authorities recovered numerous counterfeit documents, including honorary doctorates, academic doctorates, master’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, diplomas, and certificates. The suspects are now in custody and are expected to face charges under Section 28 of the University Act.
In 2023, the CUE had already flagged Northwestern Christian University as one of 13 institutions engaged in the illegal distribution of diplomas, degrees, and postgraduate programs in Kenya, warning the public that qualifications from the university would not be recognized.
Despite this warning, the university proceeded to award Sudi an honorary doctorate in Leadership, Administration, and Management at a ceremony held at Eldoret National Polytechnic. The event also saw MPs John Waluke of Sirisia and Didmus Barasa of Kimilili receive similar honors. The university had previously conferred an honorary doctorate on nominated MP Joseph Wainaina in 2023, prompting concerns over the legitimacy of these awards.
The institution’s credibility took another hit after it introduced Sudi as an engineer, a claim that was swiftly dismissed by the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK). IEK President Eng. Shammah Kiteme criticized the unauthorized use of the title, emphasizing that it takes years of formal training and certification to earn such a designation.
With investigations now underway, questions continue to surface about how the university managed to confer degrees despite previous warnings from regulatory authorities.
