This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.
On October 9, 2019, the Commission for University Education (CUE) received a report from Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) regarding the institution's award of 118 PhDs in June this year.
According to CUE chief executive officer Mwenda Ntarangwi, the commission will study the report and provide guidance to the university accordingly.
"We had demands that we put to the university to fulfil and we will be looking at them in the coming days," Prof Ntarangwi told Nation, declining to reveal the contents of the report.
Following an investigation into the award of PhDs, CUE found that JKUAT failed to follow laid-down procedures, including the publication of two articles in referred journals for each PhD awarded.
As a result, the University Senate was given three months to review the PhDs awarded during the 33rd Graduation ceremony held on June 21.
JKUAT was also directed to submit evidence of the students' publication of two articles in referred journals for each PhD awarded, failure to which the non-conforming PhDs would be recalled until the graduation requirement is fulfilled.
Additionally, CUE directed JKUAT to review all PhDs awarded in the past graduations, including a total of 327 PhD degrees and 2,101 master's degrees awarded during the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd graduation ceremonies held between June 2018, November 2018, and June 2019.
The CUE report revealed poor monitoring of students' progress during PhD training and non-adherence to the University Statutes in several areas, including the allocation of supervisors, constitution of Board of Examiners, conduct of student seminar presentations, and evidence of supervision.
"There was non-adherence to the guidelines with respect to; supervision load and duration of research component of PhD programme," read the report.
JKUAT Vice Chancellor Victoria Ngumi defended the institution, stating that all degrees are meritoriously earned and that no student is allowed to graduate without going through the due process regarding coursework, seminars, original research, external examination, and publications.
