Police bust fake graduation, arrest six over unaccredited degrees in Mombasa
The illegal graduation ceremony in Changamwe exposed a scam involving the issuance of unaccredited university degrees.
What you need to know:
- The Commission for University Education said it was not aware of the graduation ceremony and had not accredited the institution.
- Five individuals were scheduled to graduate with Master’s degrees, while 17 others were set to receive university degree certificates.
A team of detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Commission for University Education (CUE) on Saturday halted an illegal graduation ceremony in Changamwe, Mombasa County, exposing a scam involving the issuance of unaccredited university degrees.
The raid took place at Victory International Church, where a convocation organised by Menorah Training Institute in partnership with Ghana-based Dominion Mission Theological University Global (DMTU) was already underway.
CUE Head of Legal and Enforcement Isaack Gathirwa said the commission was not aware of the graduation ceremony and had not accredited the institution.
“Kenya, as a sovereign state, has systems that govern the award of degrees and diplomas. The Universities Act regulates the accreditation of institutions and programmes, and it does not distinguish between academic and other qualifications. All must be accredited,” Mr Gathirwa said.
He added that the institution presenting graduands at the ceremony was not listed among accredited universities in Kenya.
“Unless you can provide proof of accreditation, then what you are doing here amounts to a criminal activity. As head of legal, I have no option but to hand you over to the agency constitutionally mandated to handle criminal investigations,” he said, before handing the suspects over to the DCI.
According to a DCI report, investigations revealed that Menorah Training Institute is registered with the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) and is only authorised to offer courses up to diploma level.
However, a review of the graduation list exposed the scale of the alleged fraud. Five individuals were scheduled to graduate with Master’s degrees, while 17 others were set to receive university degree certificates.
The institution is neither licensed by CUE nor authorised to award degrees, rendering the Master’s and degree certificates null and void. Some of the qualifications listed included Master’s degrees in Divinity, Ministry and Leadership.
Organisers, directors and officials at the ceremony failed to produce mandatory accreditation documents, leading to the arrest of six individuals, including the institution’s president and several board members. They are currently in custody pending arraignment.
The DCI and CUE have cautioned the public to verify the accreditation status of institutions with the relevant regulatory bodies before enrolling, warning that shortcuts in education often lead to dead ends.
