Tuesday, May 6, 2025 - Despite holding a PhD from the University of Nairobi, the former Attorney General of Kenya Prof Githu Muigai has consistently rejected the “Dr.” title.
According to the renowned legal scholar, the title has been “watered down,” often used by individuals without rigorous academic credentials, especially in politics.
For Prof. Githu Muigai, academic titles should reflect deep, meaningful scholarship - not serve as vanity tags.
“In this country, one is lucky not to use ‘doctor’ because virtually every political person claims to be a doctor of something or other,” he said in a recent interview.
His remarks come at a time when public figures like President William Ruto often emphasize their academic achievements.
Ruto, who earned a PhD in Plant Ecology, has publicly flaunted the title “Dr.” during speeches, once remarking that he is "not just a hustler, but a doctor too."
This culture of academic one-upmanship only reinforces Prof. Muigai’s discomfort with the politicization of scholarly titles.
His own journey, however, is a testament to academic excellence and discipline.
With an LLB from the University of Nairobi, an LLM from Columbia, and a PhD from Nairobi, Prof. Muigai’s academic journey is undeniably elite.
But after resigning as Attorney General in 2019, he returned to teaching - where his humility, not his titles, continues to shape Kenya’s next generation of legal minds.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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