The Commission for University Education (CUE) has launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the award of degrees by Northwestern Christian University, an institution it insists is not accredited.

In a statement to newsrooms, the commission has threatened to take legal action against the institution, bearing in mind that it flagged Northwestern Christian University on a newspaper advert published in June 2023.

“The Commission has taken note of widely circulating media reports on purported issuance of honorary doctorates in Kenya by an entity going by the name Northwestern Christian University. The Commission wishes to inform the public that the entity operating in Kenya by the name Northwestern Christian University is unaccredited institution,” the statement reads in part.

As the sole regulator of university education in the country, CUE says it made it 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.

“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,” the commission says.

CUE further adds that it shall take appropriate legal measures where applicable against Northwestern Christian University.

Decision by the university to award honorary degrees to Members of Parliament (MPs) Oscar Sudi (Kapsaret), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), and John Waluke (Sirisia) has sparked an uproar from both Kenyans and professional bodies.