Tanzania’s Battle Against Fake Degrees: Strengthening Academic Integrity

By Adonis Byemelwa

In 2007, Tanzania grappled with a medical crisis at Muhimbili National Hospital, where a knee surgery turned tragic due to a mix-up in patient names, resulting in an unnecessary brain operation for Emmanuel Didas.

Though isolated, this incident sparked concerns about the authenticity of medical qualifications, leading to apologies from the then Minister of Health, Prof David Mwakyusa.

"Being a minister in charge of the health docket, I express deep sorrow over the incident, and would kindly like to extend heartfelt apologies to the victims on behalf of the government," said the minister.

In response, President John Pombe Magufuli's administration launched a crackdown on fake certificates, dismissing nearly 10,000 civil servants with fraudulent credentials.

President Magufuli's commitment to combating fake degrees mirrored global concerns, as highlighted in a TRT Africa report on the prevalence of forged certificates.

The report further recounted the story of Umar Audu, an investigative journalist who obtained a fake degree certificate from Cotonou, Benin.

It also detailed the closure of universities in Benin in 2013 due to the issuance of forged certificates, underscoring the international scope of the issue.

Nigeria faced its challenges, banning 30 universities and colleges domestically and blacklisting 22 internationally.

The Nigerian Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, expressed determination to expand the operation against countries such as Uganda, Kenya, and Niger.

However, Uganda refuted allegations from Nigeria regarding the legitimacy of its degree certificates, with the National Council for Higher Education urging those with evidence of fake degrees to come forward.

As the global menace of fake degrees persists, recent developments indicate that Tanzania is taking a proactive stance.

The Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) contemplated a significant move that could empower it to disqualify individuals holding suspicious academic credentials.

The proposed bill, currently under consideration by the Ministry of Education and Science and Technology, aimed to address the increasing prevalence of Tanzanians holding fake degrees from unrecognized universities, both domestic and international.

The impetus for this legislative action comes almost twelve years after a Tanzanian, Kainerugaba Msemakweli, published a booklet titled 'List of Shame in Education.'

In this exposé, he listed individuals, including high-ranking government officials, whom he accused of possessing questionable academic credentials or degrees from unrecognized institutions.

While some government officials took legal action against Msemakweli, the TCU is now gearing up to enforce measures against those holding degrees from institutions it does not recognize.

The proposed law seeks to provide the TCU with the authority to disqualify individuals with fake degrees, representing a significant step in combating the longstanding issue of forged qualifications.

The current law empowers the TCU to identify unauthorized universities but lacks the mandate to disqualify fake degree holders.

The proposed legislation aims to bridge this gap, allowing the TCU to take decisive action against individuals with dubious academic credentials.

According to a source within the TCU, the proposed law is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the commission's role in ensuring the integrity of academic qualifications.

Regular inspections of higher learning institutions have been effective in reducing the number of fake degree holders among teaching universities and research facilities.

The new law seeks to empower the TCU to act similarly to the Public Corruption Combating Bureau (PCCB) and pursue legal action against those holding fraudulent degrees.

The then Vice Chancellor of the Open University of Tanzania (OUT), Prof Tolly Mbwette, highlighted a surge in fake degree holders, particularly in honorary PhDs among religious and political leaders.

The lack of laws empowering the TCU to disqualify fake degree holders has contributed to the persistence of this trend.

The proliferation of honorary doctorates in Tanzania has raised concerns about the value of higher education.

Politicians and church leaders, including Joseph Musukuma, Abdul-Aziz Abood, and Japhet Hasunga, have received honorary doctorates, leading to public outcry, with the speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Tulia Ackson, jibing them for paying dollars to earn the dubious titles.

However, there is a fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of honorary degrees and the institutions that confer them.

Honorary doctorates are awards given by recognized universities to individuals who have made remarkable contributions to their fields or society.

Unlike traditional doctorates, these degrees are awarded purely as an honor and do not require the completion of coursework or research, making them distinct from earned doctorates.

It is crucial to note that only established universities can confer honorary doctorates. This means that the numerous unaccredited “diploma mills” do not count.

Additionally, these degrees are offered as tokens of appreciation and are not obtained by paying any fees.

Globally, the accepted convention is that those who receive honorary doctorates do not use the title ‘Dr’ before their names.

This convention contrasts with the practice in Tanzania, where the prefix ‘Dr’ is boldly brandished in front of people’s names.

The Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) should take the lead in tackling this challenge. TCU should demand that no one be called a ‘doctor’ based on honorary doctorates.

To safeguard academic integrity, TCU should advise its affiliated universities to refrain from awarding honorary degrees to politicians while they hold office.

The practice of universities rushing to grant honorary degrees to those in power, without considering the consequences for academic independence, needs to be reversed.

The media needs to play its part too. Until now, many outlets have played the sycophantic tune by calling recipients of these degrees, dubious or not, doctors. Journalists know better – and they should be ashamed of themselves! How can we stop this trend from blooming if we continue to give people the false adulation they crave?

Earning a Ph.D. is a worthy accomplishment deserving of great respect. If politicians and ministers desire the prestige that comes with being called “doctor,” they must put in the hard work to earn it. Leaders-led - being seen to take shortcuts or avoid challenges is the antithesis of leadership.