By Antynet Ford
The Engineering Board of Kenya (EBK) has directed Northwestern Christian University-Kenya to withdraw Kapseret Member of Parliament (MP) Oscar Sudi’s honorary Doctorate degree certificate, citing unauthorised use of the title “Engineer”.
This comes as the Commission for University Education (CUE) launched probe into the circumstances surrounding the issuance of degrees by varsity it insists is unrecognised in Kenya.
The honorary degree, awarded on December 21 during the university’s 17th graduation ceremony, included the title “Eng.” on the certificate, a move the board deemed a violation of the Engineers Act, 2011.
EBK has instructed the university to issue a corrected certificate without the professional title.
EBK revealed that it had received numerous complaints from the public regarding the misuse of the title “Engineer” in the honorary degree.
“The unauthorized use of this title undermines the integrity of the engineering profession and is a punishable offence under the Kenyan Constitution,” EBK stated.
The Engineers Act reserves the title “Eng.” exclusively for Professional and Consulting Engineers registered by the board.
The Act explicitly prohibits unregistered individuals from using professional engineering titles, prescribing penalties for such violations.
EBK maintained that the inclusion of the title “Engineer” in the honorary degree certificate was unauthorised and contravened professional guidelines.
They reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the credibility and integrity of the engineering profession.
Oscar Sudi was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Leadership, Administration, and Management in recognition of his contributions to leadership and public service.
The recognition, however, sparked controversy due to his previous legal battles over his academic qualifications, which he ultimately won in court.
Northwestern Christian University-Kenya recently came under public scrutiny for awarding honorary degrees to lawmakers, including Oscar Sudi (Kapsaret), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili) and John Waluke (Sirisia).
Professional bodies such as the Institution of Engineers in Kenya, raised concerns about the criteria the university uses to award the degrees.
In a statement yesterday, CUE underscored that Northwestern Christian University is unaccredited in Kenya and that any academic credentials issued by the institution are not recognised locally.
“The Commission has taken note of widely circulating media reports on purported issuance of honorary doctorates in Kenya by an entity going by the name Northwestern Christian University. The Commission wishes to inform the public that the entity operating in Kenya by the name Northwestern Christian University is unaccredited institution.” CUE said in their statement.
CUE, the sole regulator of university education in Kenya, further warned that the issuance of academic qualifications by unaccredited institutions is illegal and that it is allowed by law to pursue legal action against such entities.
The commission added that upon concluding investigations it will take appropriate action against Northwestern Christian University.
It advised members of the public to access a list of accredited Universities and the programmes on offer through direct consultation or the CUE