Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa has come under fresh scrutiny after Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) disputed the authenticity of an engineering degree associated with him.
In a letter dated September 14, 2026, JKUAT Registrar of Academic Affairs Dr Aggrey Wanyama told the Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) that Barasa was not a student at the university and that his name does not appear in its alumni records.
The university further stated that it did not hold a graduation ceremony in May 2008, the period indicated on the disputed Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering certificate.
JKUAT therefore concluded that the certificate was “NOT GENUINE.”
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JKUAT says its records do not have Barasa
According to the university, its verification exercise found no academic record showing that Barasa studied at the institution.
The registrar’s letter stated that the university had checked its records and established that the MP was not a student at JKUAT.
The revelation is significant because the document in question purports to show that Barasa graduated with a Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the university.
JKUAT, however, says there is no corresponding student or graduation record to support the qualification.
EACC and EBK had reportedly been informed
JKUAT also indicated that the issue was not being raised for the first time.
The university said the matter had previously been investigated by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), adding that the same information concerning the legitimacy of the qualification had been communicated to both bodies.
The latest letter has consequently renewed questions about what happened after the earlier investigations and whether any action was taken.
COFEK has been seeking clarification on Barasa’s academic credentials, with the latest response from JKUAT providing a formal position from the institution named on the disputed certificate.
Questions now turn to the agencies
The university’s statement is likely to put renewed attention on the agencies that previously received information about the qualification.
JKUAT has now put its position in writing: Barasa’s name does not appear in its alumni records, the university says there was no May 2008 graduation ceremony, and it considers the certificate not genuine.
The next questions are therefore what the EACC and EBK established from their earlier inquiries and what action, if any, followed.
