Chuka University has firmly dismissed allegations circulating on social media suggesting that one of its doctoral candidates completed a PhD thesis—focused on discourse surrounding the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua—in less than a year.
The University described the claims as misleading, unfounded, and harmful to public confidence in higher education.
On December 4, 2025, the institution, in an official statement released on point, onpointed out that the student at the centre of the controversy, whose thesis titled “A Critical Analysis of the Discourse during the Impeachment of the 2nd Deputy President of Kenya” appears in the 14th Graduation Congregation booklet, was admitted in 2022 and completed the programme in November 2025.
This, the University emphasised, exceeds the minimum three-year requirement set by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
Chuka University insisted that all its doctoral programmes strictly follow CUE regulations, with full cycles of coursework, proposal development, supervisory engagements, research timelines, thesis writing, external examination, and oral defence.
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Each degree awarded undergoes every required stage of scrutiny, supervision, and quality assurance. The idea that such work can be completed in a few months is not accurate.
The administration further stressed that doctoral training at the institution is carefully structured to ensure rigorous academic development. University officials stated that research and supervision processes are conducted with the highest standards of scholarly merit and integrity.
Chuka University expressed concern about the speed at which misinformation had spread online, especially given the thesis topic’s political sensitivity.
“The spread of unverified content only misleads the public and undermines the integrity of higher education,” the statement read.
Supervisors familiar with the candidate’s progress added that doctoral journeys take years of structured work, not social media speculation.
The University affirmed that it maintains comprehensive records of all academic stages and welcomes lawful verification from legitimate stakeholders to reinforce confidence in its processes.
The University urged the media and the public to rely only on verified information from official channels before making or spreading claims.
By Joseph Mambili
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