Miguna Miguna Reacts to Viral Email Alleging Sudi?s Honorary Degree Was a Fraud
Northwestern Christian University awarded Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi an honorary doctorate in leadership
The award sparked outrage among several Kenyans moments before an email surfaced online claiming the award was a result of fraud
Lawyer Miguna Miguna weighed in on the claims and argued that a Kenyan impersonating the NCU administrators sent them
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Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.
Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi recently celebrated being conferred with an honorary doctorate in Leadership, Administration, and Management from Northwestern Christian University during a ceremony held at the Eldoret National Polytechnic.
Miguna Miguna during a past meeting with President WIlliam Ruto (l). Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi at the Eldoret National Polytechnic. Photo: Miguna Miguna/Oscar Sudi.
Source: Facebook
However, the announcement sparked criticism, with many Kenyans questioning the legitimacy of the recognition.
Shortly after, emails surfaced online alleging that a fraudulent institution in Kenya had been using the name and logo of the US-based university and was shut down.
The emails further alleged that NCU did not award Sudi the honorary doctorate and hence rendered it fake.
"Your degree certificate is a counterfeit document from a fake school in Kenya that was fraudulently shut down as a criminal enterprise. They illegally tried to sue our name. They were reported and shut down. Unfortunately, your degree is not legitimate," the email claimed.
How did Miguna Miguna respond to viral email?
Outspoken lawyer Miguna Miguna weighed in on the controversy, analysing the grammar and spelling errors in the emails.
He concluded that the messages were likely written by Kenyans impersonating administrators of the US-based university.
"The language in the ?email? is Kenyan; not American. ?Cheated? is a word often improperly used by Kenyans; it?s rarely, if at all, used in North America, in the same manner. Every single sentence in that ?email? is written by a Kenyan in Kenya," Miguna said.
Miguna acknowledged the possibility that Sudi?s conferment might have involved fraudulent practices. However, he criticised those behind the emails, noting that fraud cannot be exposed by committing fraud, further complicating the narrative surrounding the honorary degree.
"Yes, the purported conferment of an honorary degree on Sudi was fraudulent, but one doesn?t expose fraud by committing fraud himself or herself," he added.
Why did Kenya warn about Northwestern Christian University?
The institution operates through an online open enrollment system, enabling students to enrol and graduate at any time throughout the year.
While it holds accreditation, questions about the credibility of its academic programs have previously arisen, with claims that some courses may fall short of the regulatory standards mandated by Kenyan authorities.
In June 2023, the Commission for University Education (CUE) issued a public warning against enrolling in this university, along with 13 others, citing concerns over their accreditation status.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
