Kilifi north MP Owen Baya has changed tune on the validity of Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa’s degree.

In 2018 Baya questioned if Jumwa had any degree.

However, Baya has now come out to defend Jumwa over the degree saga.

In an interview, Baya confided that in 2018 Jumwa did not have any degree but he now has one.

Speaking at his residence, Baya said he was approached by Jumwa after he questioned his academic credential.

“She came to me and said she does not have any degree but she wants to have one. He asked me for helping by giving her extra tuition because she could not pay the professors to take her through. I tutored her and even encouraged her to attend classes after parliament sittings. She used to pass by my house every time she finished her classes for the day,” he said

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Baya said Jumwa’s journey to attaining a degree has been long but can be traced.

Jumwa is vying for the Kilifi gubernatorial seat on a UDA ticket.

“Jumwa has a pathway to her degree. After completing her primary education at Takaungu Primary she joined Ganze secondary school where she dropped out and was married off. The marriage did not work out and she joined politics. She served as councillor and chairlady of the now-defunct Kilifi town council. She enrolled for a certificate course at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology JKUAT. She later enrolled for a diploma and eventually a degree,” he said

The MP said it is possible to become a professor even with a D in your KCSE exams if you are determined.

Baya challenged the Malindi ODM leaders to interrogate the validity of their Kilifi gubernatorial candidate whom he said has no valid degree.

“If you live in a glass house you should be the last person to throw stones. Their candidate did the Certificate of Primary Education and joined a school in Ukambani for the O’ levels and he failed. He did not do the A’ levels because his marks could not let him,” he added

Baya said the education system in Kenya cannot allow someone who did not do an A level in the education system preceding KCSE to enrol for a University degree.

“I was a lecturer and many people came with division one certificates at O level and wanted to do degrees but the law is very clear. Without an A level certificate or a KCSE certificate you cannot be admitted to any University so let them tell us where their candidate got his degree and they should tell us the pathway to his degree,” he said