NAIROBI, Kenya — Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has demanded Sh100 million in damages from the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) over publications concerning his academic qualifications, escalating a dispute that has already reached the High Court.
Barasa, through lawyers Danstan Omari, Shadrack Wambui and Jeff Kangethe, has also demanded the removal and retraction of publications relating to him from social media platforms.
The demand was contained in a letter dated September 21, 2026, in which the lawyers accused COFEK of publishing allegedly defamatory statements about the MP between September 14 and September 21.
Barasa denies studying at JKUAT
Barasa has denied claims that he attended Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) or pursued an engineering programme at the institution.
His position comes after JKUAT told COFEK in a September 14 letter that Barasa’s name did not appear in its student or alumni records and that the university did not hold a graduation ceremony in May 2008, the date associated with a disputed engineering certificate. JKUAT said the certificate was “NOT GENUINE.”
Barasa has instead maintained that his undergraduate and master’s degrees were obtained from Mount Kenya University.
Lawyers demand Sh100 million
In the demand letter, Barasa’s lawyers accused COFEK of publishing statements that were intended to lower the MP’s standing and damage his reputation.
They demanded that all publications relating to Barasa be removed from social media platforms within two hours of receipt of the letter.
The lawyers also demanded Sh100 million in damages and warned that legal proceedings would follow if the demands were not met.
The demand was reported by several Kenyan media outlets, including Citizen Digital.
Barasa explains academic progression
In a replying affidavit filed in court, Barasa says he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Mount Kenya University in 2021, followed by a Master of Arts in Public Administration and Management (Public Policy) in 2022.
He says he subsequently applied to Murang’a University of Technology for admission to a Doctor of Philosophy programme in Public Administration and received provisional admission in January 2023.
According to his affidavit, he completed various stages of the doctoral programme, including a concept paper presentation, research proposal defence, data analysis and results presentation, seminars, journal paper presentations and an oral thesis defence.
Barasa says PhD requirements were met
Barasa further states that the university’s Directorate of Postgraduate Studies issued him a letter dated June 16, 2026, confirming that he had completed his studies and met the requirements for the award of a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration, subject to conferment at the university’s next graduation ceremony.
The academic dispute has nevertheless continued, with COFEK pursuing court proceedings seeking scrutiny of aspects of Barasa’s academic progression and doctoral qualification.
Barasa disputes the basis of those proceedings, arguing that the petition relies substantially on publicly available information and alleged inconsistencies rather than his actual academic records.
COFEK case remains before court
The demand letter comes as COFEK continues its legal challenge concerning Barasa’s academic qualifications and the circumstances surrounding his doctoral award.
The dispute over the alleged JKUAT engineering qualification is separate from Barasa’s stated academic history involving Mount Kenya University and Murang’a University of Technology.
JKUAT’s position concerns the disputed engineering certificate and its records, while Barasa maintains that he did not study engineering at JKUAT.
Legal battle could continue
Barasa’s lawyers have warned that failure to remove and retract the publications and meet the Sh100 million demand within the stipulated period could trigger legal proceedings.
