Prof Ongore Explains Raila’s Germany Education, Puts To Shame Statehouse Bloggers

I have seen a Facebook post, to which you drew my attention, regarding Raila Odinga’s academic qualification and teaching position at the University of Nairobi in the 1971/72 Academic Year. The two issues that are presented as per the University of Nairobi Calendar of that year are that: 1. He is a holder of a Diploma in Engineering, and , 2. He is a Laboratory Assistant. Let’s interrogate these issues.

1. Raila holds a German qualification called Dipl-Ing from Madgeburg in the then East Germany. This institution has since come together with others to form Otto Von Guericke Universitat since 1993 (Raila’s name is listed among prominent alumni of this university).

Previously, Madgeburg offered technical programmes in Engineering and related disciplines. Dipl-Ing or Dip-Ing is a short form for Diplom-Ingenieur. It was the typical qualification given to graduates of Engineering after completing 5 years of university training in a technical field of study.

The former East Germany had two paths to university education after high school (year 10 + 2). The academically oriented students would pursue academic programmes leading to award of Magister, while those with technical orientation would pursue Diplom. Both of them were equivalent to an MSc in a traditional University.

After Dipl-Ing, the next Engineering qualification is Dr-Ing, which is the equivalent of PhD in Engineering. Germany and a few other European countries have another very high qualification, known as Doctor of Habilitation (D.Hab), which is specifically designed for people who want to be university Professors. D.Hab is pursued after PhD, and may take between 5 and 9 years post-PhD training, and has no equivalent anywhere in the world.

The American or British Post-Doctoral fellowship is not equivalent to a D.Hab. Once obtained, and the holder gets a university position, s/he is referred to as Prof-Dr. This is not the same as a Professor who holds a PhD. In the German ranking, Professor-Dr comes at the top, above everyone else in society, and enjoys the highest salary, way above politicians and other state officers.

Prof-Drs are few, far in between, and revered. Perhaps, this explains why people of German extraction and training have generally led the rest of the world in Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and Nobel Prizes. You may wish to check these facts from diverse sources which are available online.

Similar grading system applied in all USSR countries. For someone to claim that a Diplom-Ingenieur is equivalent to a Diploma in Engineering in the British tradition could be attributed to either ignorance or mischief. But given that information is so readily available these days, I would go with the likelihood that the author is mischievious.

Raila was not employed as a Laboratory Assistant, but rather as a Special Assistant, which means an assistant in a specialized area. That notwithstanding, universities world over employ laboratory assistants and technologists in technical areas, and put them on special schemes of employment.

Some technologists at the University of Nairobi, for example, including my own blood relative, Orodi Odhiambo, hold up to PhD, or its equivalent in highly specialized disciplines. There’s no contradiction in holding a PhD and working as a Laboratory Assistant or Technologist.

Raila was registered by the Engineering Registration Board of Kenya as a professional engineer (graduate) on the basis of his Dipl-Ing qualification. He was later accepted for a PhD Engineering course at the University of Colorado on the basis of that very qualification ( by the way, I am writing this rejoinder from Colorado). He however, did not take it up as the Government of Kenya appointed him , around the same time, as the first Deputy Director in charge of standards at KEBS. I am very well informed about the German system of education. As a matter of fact, I was in Germany early this week.

I am not a politician, and have never wanted to be one. I am not anyone’s gatekeeper. It should be appreciated, however, that all politicians, whether in government or opposition, play a very crucial, but challenging role in our society. They deserve to be respected and supported by all of us.

Raila Odinga’s name is intertwined with the history of liberation of Kenya and Africa. This may be a bitter truth to swallow, but it is the truth anyway, whether we like it or not. He has earned a special “acreage” in books of history.