US-based law scholar Prof Makau Mutua has warned that Kenyan scholars who have dreams of taking their post-graduate programs outside the country will have a hard time getting a great institution after Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) 118 PhDs saga.
Last week on Friday, JKUAT awarded 118 scholars with doctorate degree in one day.
In a tweet on Thursday, Mutua stated that JKUAT''s 118 PhDs has exposed the rot in the Kenyan education system.
"The damage done by JKUAT’s 118 likely phony PhDs is incalculable. Kenyans applying for post-graduate programs abroad will face heavy skepticism. This brings into disrepute Kenya’s entire educational system and wipes out its credibility. It’s a terrible burden on the youth," he said.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) came out to probe into the matter after an uproar from the public. It was revealed that one lecturer at JKUAT supervised over 16 scholars, which is against CUE requirement.
According to CUE, one lecturer is supposed to supervise three PhD scholars at a time. This makes sure the PhDs meets the standards set across the country.
University of Nairobi (UoN) was also put on the spot for producing a large number of PhDs.