NAIROBI Kenya, Dec 24- The Commission for University Education (CUE) has declared Northwestern Christian University, operating in Kenya, as an unaccredited institution and stated that any academic credentials issued by the university are not recognized locally.
In a statement, CUE announced that it has launched investigations into the issuance of degrees by the university and will take legal action against the institution once the investigations are completed.
“This fact was brought to the attention of the public by the Commission in a newspaper advert published in June 2023. It was made explicitly clear that the institution was not accredited to offer any university education in Kenya and that any purported credentials issued would not be recognized in Kenya,” the statement read.
The Commission reiterated that the Universities Act prohibits the provision of university education without government accreditation and warned that legal action would be taken against those found culpable of violating the law.
CUE advised Kenyans to consult its website for the list of accredited universities and approved programmes to avoid such situations.
“Kenyans are hereby informed that awarding of academic qualifications by unaccredited institutions is a direct violation of the Universities Act, CAP 210, which prohibits the provision of university education without accreditation,” CUE said.
Northwestern Christian University has come under scrutiny for awarding honorary degrees to MPs, including Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, and Sirisia MP John Waluke.
The Engineering Board of Kenya (EBK) has directed the university to withdraw Sudi’s honorary doctorate degree certificate, citing unauthorized use of the title “Engineer” on the document.
Sudi’s honorary degree, awarded on December 21 during the university’s 17th graduation ceremony, included the title “Eng.,” which the board said violated the Engineers Act, 2011. EBK revealed that it had received numerous public complaints about the misuse of the title.
“The unauthorized use of this title undermines the integrity of the engineering profession and is a punishable offence under the Kenyan Constitution,” EBK said.
