This archive report was first published on 31 July 2019.
CS George Magoha's no-nonsense approach to academia has led to a major shake-up at Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT).
A government investigation has revealed serious anomalies in the PhD graduation process at the university, putting over 100 graduates at risk of having their degrees recalled.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) has given the university's senate three months to review 118 PhDs awarded during the 33rd graduation ceremony on June 21, 2019.
The commission accuses the institution of violating the universities' standards and guidelines, which came into force in 2014.
JKUAT has been stopped from offering PhD programmes in its satellite campuses for lack of capacity, with the Mombasa campus being a notable example. Despite graduating 23 PhD students in the past three years, the campus does not have a single professor.
The university has been asked to address questions raised by the commission in the investigations or risk having the degrees recalled. It will also have to review all its PhDs awarded in the past three graduations.
327 PhD and 2,101 master's degrees were awarded during the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd graduation ceremonies held in June 2018, November 2018, and June 2019.
The CUE has directed the university to submit evidence of the students' publication of two articles in refereed journals for each PhD awarded since 2014, failing which the nonconforming PhDs will be recalled.
The probe team, led by Prof Jackson K. Too, identified fundamental weaknesses in the theses and inconsistencies in the board of examiners' reports.
The investigation revealed that some students submitted their theses based on research that did not meet the minimum requirements on research duration, with one student completing their research, publishing, and giving intent to submit, all in less than 12 months.
