Ogamba orders probe into MMUST ‘ghost graduands’ claims as university denies allegations

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba. /JULIUS OGAMBA/X

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has directed the Commission for University Education to investigate allegations that individuals who were never students at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology were awarded degrees.

The university has, however, strongly denied the claims, terming them unverified and maintaining that all its graduates follow due academic and statutory processes before being conferred with degrees.

In a statement issued Tuesday evening, Ogamba said the allegations questioning the authenticity of some graduands at the institution warrant immediate scrutiny by the regulator.

"Following allegations circulating on various social and mainstream media platforms questioning the bona fides of some graduands at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, I have today directed the Commission for University Education to undertake a thorough investigation into the matter," he said.

"The commission is required to ascertain that all graduands were in fact students at the university, and that they duly qualified for the award of the qualifications that were conferred upon them."

The allegations gained traction online after Mukhisa Kituyi, the former secretary general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and current United Opposition spokesperson, claimed during a radio interview that individuals not admitted to the university appeared on a graduation list two years ago.

"Look at admissions at universities, there's something that scared me when my nephew was graduating at a public university and they were seeing the names of graduates and were marking the names of persons who have never been admitted to that university, who have never attended classes at that university, but they are on the roll for graduation," he said.

Speaking during the interview on Tuesday, March 31, Kituyi said the revelation pointed to entrenched decay in the education system and a collapse of institutional credibility requiring urgent national attention.

"It's an absolute reality, and I can demonstrate to anybody who cares to listen that a graduation two years ago at Masinde Muliro University had names of persons who were never admitted to the university, and the first time their names were scheduled to the university is when they were on the printout for graduation. They came with a gown, they got a degree, and they went away," he said.

In its response, MMUST, through Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Prof Hussein Golicha, dismissed the allegations, insisting that its graduation processes are rigorous and compliant with university statutes.

Prof Golicha said all students who graduate from the university must apply, be admitted, register for courses, and only qualify for graduation after satisfying both examiners and the university Senate.

"We strongly disagree with such unverified claims, which have unfairly tainted the image of our institution. Students who qualify for graduation are duly processed through the approval processes as provided for in the university statutes," he said.

He added that the university offers distance learning courses and enrolled students go through all the requisite processes before being awarded certification.

"The University has Open and Distance Learning where students take classes from the comfort of their area of operation/homes away from the university, and are processed for graduation only when they meet the requirements," he said.

Ogamba reiterated that the Ministry of Education remains committed to safeguarding the credibility of Kenya’s education system and protecting its standing as a regional and international academic hub.

CUE, which is the statutory regulator for university education in Kenya, is mandated to accredit institutions, approve academic programmes and ensure compliance with set standards.