Who is Didmus Barasa? From technical career to outspoken Kimilili MP

Didmus Wekesa Barasa has built a reputation as one of the more outspoken politicians from western Kenya.

The Kimilili MP has spent nearly a decade in Parliament, moving from a technical and corporate career into national politics and becoming a prominent supporter of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) administration.

But in September 2026, his academic history has again come under scrutiny after Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) said it has no record of awarding him the engineering degree listed in an older parliamentary profile.

The development has put fresh attention on the career and education of a politician who is also positioning himself for a bigger role in Bungoma politics.

From Nasianda to Parliament

Barasa was born in Bungoma and attended Nasianda Primary School before joining Kimilili Secondary School.

According to his current profile on the Parliament website, he completed his KCSE in 2000 with a mean grade of B. Parliament's current profile lists a Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Kenya Power & Lighting Training School, now the Institute of Energy Studies, which he attended between 2001 and 2004.

He subsequently built a career in technical, safety and corporate management roles before entering elective politics.

Parliament records show that he worked at Kenya Power and later served with the Kenya Armed Forces Technical Wing. He subsequently worked for Shell Company Australia and Bolloré Africa Logistics, where Parliament lists him as a regional quality, safety, health and environmental manager covering several countries in East and Central Africa.

That professional background would later become part of his political profile, particularly his focus on public administration, security and governance.

The academic records controversy

Barasa's education has, however, become one of the most closely scrutinised parts of his public profile.

An older National Assembly profile lists him as having studied Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at JKUAT from 2001 to 2005, followed by postgraduate studies at the University of Queensland and the University of Sydney in Australia.

The current parliamentary profile no longer carries that JKUAT degree. Instead, it lists his technical diploma, a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Mount Kenya University, a master's degree in Public Administration and Management and a graduate diploma in Project Management.

The issue escalated on September 17, 2026, after JKUAT told the Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) that Barasa's name does not appear in its student or alumni records.

According to Daily Nation, JKUAT Registrar of Academic Affairs Aggrey Wanyama said the university did not hold a graduation ceremony in May 2008, the date indicated on the disputed certificate, and concluded that the certificate was not genuine.

The university said the matter had previously been brought to the attention of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Engineers Board of Kenya.

Barasa has previously rejected questions about his academic qualifications. In June, he said he had heard claims that he had not attended school and had taken another person's certificate. He said he had two undergraduate degrees and two master's degrees.

He has not publicly responded to JKUAT's latest letter, according to Daily Nation.

The controversy should therefore be understood as a dispute involving conflicting records and institutional findings, rather than treating allegations about his qualifications as established personal wrongdoing.

From corporate management to politics

Barasa entered elective politics in 2017, when he won the Kimilili parliamentary seat.

His first parliamentary profile listed him as a member of the Jubilee Party and showed him serving on the Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security and the Powers and Privileges Committee.

He later moved into the UDA camp ahead of the 2022 General Election.

He retained the Kimilili seat and is now serving his second term in the National Assembly. Parliament's current directory lists him as a UDA MP for Kimilili.

His parliamentary record includes participation in debates on legislation, government spending and public administration.

In 2023, for example, he appeared before the National Assembly's Finance and National Planning Committee to defend proposals seeking changes to the way some constitutional commissions operate. His argument was that part-time engagement could help reduce public expenditure.

He also sponsored the Pensions (Amendment) Bill, which sought to introduce statutory timelines for the payment of pensions to retired officers. Parliament records show that the Bill was passed by the National Assembly in 2022 before President William Ruto returned it to Parliament for reconsideration in 2025.

A vocal presence in Parliament

Barasa has also developed a reputation for speaking forcefully during parliamentary debates.

Hansard records show him regularly contributing to debates on legislation, public spending and political affairs.

His interventions have sometimes attracted exchanges with other MPs and interventions from the Speaker.

In April 2026, for instance, he contributed to debate on the Floor of the House during a discussion on public administration and representation.

His political style has helped make him a recognisable figure beyond his constituency.

The PhD milestone

In August 2026, Barasa added another academic qualification to his public profile when he graduated with a PhD in Public Administration from Murang'a University of Technology.

His doctoral research examined county governments' branding strategies and their relationship with service-delivery satisfaction among small and medium-sized enterprises, using Bungoma County as the case study.

The doctorate became controversial even before his graduation.

Cofek had sought verification of his academic credentials after Barasa announced that he had completed his doctoral studies. The organisation raised questions about whether his previous qualifications had been properly verified before his admission to the doctoral programme.

Barasa nevertheless proceeded to graduate from Murang'a University of Technology in August.

The separate JKUAT dispute that emerged in September now places his earlier academic history under renewed scrutiny.

His political ambitions

Barasa's political ambitions appear to extend beyond Kimilili.

Recent reporting has linked him to a possible bid for Bungoma governor in the 2027 General Election. The Star reported in August that he had been holding grassroots meetings and campaigning for the position on a UDA ticket.

Whether he eventually contests the position will depend on the political and electoral processes ahead.

For now, he remains the sitting MP for Kimilili and a UDA politician.

What defines Didmus Barasa's public career?

Barasa's journey is unusual in that it combines a technical and corporate background with a rapidly developed political career.

He entered Parliament in 2017, retained his seat in 2022 and has remained active in national political debates.

His legislative record includes proposals touching on pensions, public expenditure and the administration of constitutional institutions.

At the same time, his public career has increasingly been accompanied by questions about his academic history.

The latest development is particularly significant because it involves JKUAT directly disputing the existence of an engineering degree attributed to the university in an older parliamentary profile.

As of September 17, 2026, the documented picture is therefore one of a sitting two-term Kimilili MP, a UDA politician, former corporate manager and recent PhD graduate whose earlier academic records are now the subject of a fresh institutional dispute.

Category: Features

About the Author

Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.