Challenges Faced by Phd Students of Linguistics in Kenya: Supervision and Other Practices

This paper seeks to investigate challenges encountered by PhD students of linguistics in Kenya, in their studies and strategies that can be formulated to overcome them. There has been a growing concern on the production of PhD graduates in Linguistics and other fields in Kenya. According to the Commission for the University Education (CUE), already enrolled students for PhD programs spent up to more than eight years, more than the required period of four to five years. Till today, completion rates, especially in linguistics remain very low. The longer it takes to complete doctorate studies in Linguistics or any other field imparts negatively on the individual candidate, socially, psychologically and financially. In the year 2017, United States of America produced over 60,000 PhDs, South Africa, the leading in Africa produced 2000 PhDs and Kenya produced less than 350 PhDs. In Kenyan Universities; Public and Private, doctoral students take an average of 8 years to graduate. Kenya as a whole is in dire need for doctoral graduates. Reasons for the delays, especially in Linguistics are many. The delays are brought about by among them, work load to supervisors, funding and power struggles. This paper seeks answers to these questions; what are the problems that the PhD students of Linguistics in Kenya face? Are the PhD students and supervisors to blame for completion delays?