A close look at the leaked courses that are lined up by University of Nairobi to be expunged from the programme shows PhD in Plant Ecology is among them.
In the secret document seen by Sunday Standard, the institution has taken the position to do away with several bachelors, Masters and PhDs.
“Consequently, the university has undertaken to rationalise programmes and review or revise curricula to comply with the Commission for University Education (CUE) standards and guidelines,” reads the document.
Last year, Deputy President William Ruto was among those who graduated with a doctorate degree in Plant Ecology, which will now be scrapped.
The presence of the course in the list is likely to course another political storm. For months, a number of politicians have been claiming that the degree was awarded to Dr Ruto without due diligence.
A total of nine courses will be scrapped at the School of Biological Sciences, including three courses under Open Distance and e-Learning (OdeL).
These are BSc in Microbiology and Biotechnology, BSc in Biology, BSc in Environmental Conservation and Natural Resources Management.
Others are MSc in Agriculture Entomology, MSc in Medical and Veterinary Entomology, PhD in Applied Microbiology, PhD in Plant Ecology, PhD in Terrestrial Plant Ecology and PhD in Aquatic Plant Ecology. At the School of Physical Sciences, a total of 17 courses will be scrapped, including the Certificate in Chemistry.
Ruto submitted his thesis – titled ‘Influence of human activities on land use changes on environmental quality of riparian ecosystems: A case study of Saiwa Swamp watershed, Western Kenya’ – in September this year.
DP Ruto has also published his work in two renowned journals – the International Journal of Research in Environmental Science and the Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution – as required by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
Prof Amukowa Anangwe last year said Dr Ruto's degree could have been politically motivated. He said Ruto was probably going to use it against his competitors.
“No wonder he has been deriding (Baringo County senator) Gideon Moi in rallies for being less educated than him. He will say the same thing against his opponents in the presidential race ahead of 2022,” said Prof Anangwe, who teaches at University of Dodoma, Tanzania.