Kenyan Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa recently took to Facebook to correct media outlets on how to refer to his academic titles. In a post on September 19, Barasa insisted that he be referred to as "Didmus Wekesa Barasa, PhD, CBS." This clarification comes amid a controversy surrounding his academic credentials. Barasa emphasized that his doctorate is a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration, earned after three and a half years at Murang'a University of Technology.
Barasa's post was intended to set the record straight, but it ended up creating a new problem. In describing Murang'a University of Technology, Barasa referred to it as "the fastest growing university in East of the Sahara, South of River Limpopo." This geographical description raised eyebrows among Kenyans online, sparking fresh mockery. Many pointed out that the coordinates Barasa provided would place the university in the Indian Ocean, rather than in Kenya.
Kenyans quickly took to social media to correct Barasa's geographical error. Several users noted that the correct phrasing should be "South of the Sahara, North of the Limpopo," which is the standard way of describing sub-Saharan Africa. Stephen Moturi Gekombe and Simon Barasa were among those who pointed out the mistake, with Gekombe writing "Barasa, PhD, it is 'North' of the River Limpopo! Not South! South of Sahara.... Wewe kweli ni PhD...".
The controversy surrounding Barasa's academic credentials is ongoing. The Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) had raised questions about a Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering certificate allegedly issued by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) that appeared on older versions of his parliamentary profile. JKUAT responded by stating that Barasa was never a student at the institution and that the certificate was not genuine.
Barasa has denied ever claiming to hold an engineering degree from JKUAT, saying his Bachelor of Arts and Master's degrees came from Mount Kenya University and that his PhD admission was based on his Public Administration qualifications. However, some commenters were unimpressed with his defense, with Kirigia Gitari asking "Would a genuine graduate need to go this far to prove their qualifications?".
The issue has sparked renewed attention to a resurfaced video in which Barasa questioned the late former prime minister Raila Odinga's academic qualifications while defending Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi. The remarks have drawn criticism after JKUAT said it had no record of Barasa as a student. Barasa's attempts to clarify his academic credentials have only added to the controversy.
As the controversy continues, Barasa's Facebook post has been met with a mix of criticism and skepticism. While some have defended him, others have demanded that he provide more proof of his academic qualifications. Paskari Nabwana Wafula simply asked Barasa to "Post your academic transcripts plus your undergraduate pictures in graduation regalia." The issue remains a topic of discussion in Kenya.
Key points
- Didmus Barasa defends his academic credentials on Facebook, but makes a geographical error describing his university's location.
- The controversy surrounding Barasa's academic credentials has sparked renewed attention to a resurfaced video in which he questioned Raila Odinga's academic qualifications.
- Barasa's attempts to clarify his academic credentials have only added to the controversy, with many Kenyans demanding more proof of his qualifications.
