University dragged to court over Didmus Barasa’s PhD

Murang’a University of Technology and Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa have been sued in a fresh High Court case filed at the Milimani High Court in Nairobi.

The Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) challenged the lawmaker’s academic credentials and the processes leading to the award of his latest academic qualifications. 

The matter has been filed as Constitutional and Human Rights Petition No. E498 of 2026, with COFEK named as the petitioner and Murang’a University of Technology alongside Barasa listed as respondents.

This comes weeks after Barasa officially announced that he had completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Administration at Murang’a University of Technology and was awaiting graduation on June 23.

On July 28, Justice Gregory Mutai issued directions requiring the petition and accompanying application to be served upon the respondents and interested parties before the matter returns to court on October 9 for further directions.

COFEK later wrote to the Commission for University Education (CUE) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), calling for investigations into Barasa’s academic credentials.

The consumer lobby argued that concerns surrounding the MP’s educational background warranted independent verification by regulators and investigators to establish the credibility of the qualifications in question.

Primary & Secondary Education: Attended Nasianda Primary School for his KCPE and Kimilili Secondary School for his KCSE (1997–2000).

Diploma: Earned a Diploma in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from the Kenya Power & Lighting Training School (now the Institute of Energy Studies) between 2001 and 2004.

Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Mount Kenya University (2017–2021).

Master of Arts in Public Administration and Management from Mount Kenya University (2021–2022).

Graduate Diploma in Project Management from Mount Kenya University (2022–Present).

Prior to entering active politics, Barasa served in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) technical wing as an avionics technician.

Corporate Sector: Following his time in the military, he worked in Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) management roles across several corporate firms, including Shell Co. Ltd (Australia) and Bolloré Africa Logistics.

Entry to Parliament (2017): Barasa was first elected as the MP for Kimilili Constituency during the 2017 Kenyan General Election under the Jubilee Party ticket.

Re-election & Party Affiliation (2022): In 2021, he joined the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party led by President William Ruto, securing re-election for a second term in August 2022.

Parliamentary Roles: In the National Assembly, he has served as the Vice-Chairperson of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee, alongside memberships in the Regional Integration Committee and the Committee of Powers and Privileges.

The case erupted in June after Barasa declared that he had successfully completed his doctoral studies at the public university.

The legislator took to his social media and  announced that his “doctorate journey” at Murang’a University of Technology was complete and attached a letter from the institution’s Directorate of Postgraduate Studies confirming that he had fulfilled the requirements for the award of a Doctorate in Public Administration.

According to the letter, Barasa had successfully completed fieldwork and defended a thesis titled Branding Strategies by County Governments on Service Delivery among Small and Medium Enterprises in Bungoma County, Kenya. 

The announcement quickly drew scrutiny from members of the public, education stakeholders, and political leaders, with questions emerging about the authenticity of some of the MP’s academic qualifications.

The matter intensified after former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati publicly questioned the academic claims made by the legislator, triggering a wider public debate over the legitimacy of the qualifications and the university’s verification processes.

Parliament indicates that Barasa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration, a Master of Arts in Public Administration and Management, and a Graduate Diploma in Project Management from Mount Kenya University. 

However, neither Murang’a University nor Barasa had publicly admitted any wrongdoing regarding the qualifications.

Barasa has consistently defended his academic credentials and previously dismissed allegations touching on his educational background, maintaining that he lawfully obtained his qualifications.