Authorities in Mombasa have arrested four suspects, including two foreign nationals, for operating a fraudulent university and issuing fake Master’s and PhD degrees after just three days of training.

Officers from Bamburi Police Station apprehended the two foreigners—American citizen Dayis Lawrence Bennett and Pakistani national Farah Akab—along with Kenyan nationals Ekra Ndung’u and Josephine Ndune as they conferred degrees to participants at the makeshift institution within White Sands Hotel, Mombasa County. The arrests were conducted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) during an ongoing graduation ceremony.

According to the DCI, the suspects issued three Master’s degrees in Business Administration (Leadership and Management) and two honorary PhDs in Leadership (Hon. Causa), all without proper accreditation. The institution offered quick certifications after just three days of training, highlighting the growing challenge of academic fraud in Kenya.

Following their arrest, the suspects were arraigned before the Shanzu Law Courts and charged with “Conferring Degrees Without Accreditation of Foreign Universities” under Section 28(2) of the Universities Act. The accused pleaded not guilty and were granted a bond of KSh400,000 with similar surety or a cash bail of KSh300,000. The court also ordered the passports of the two foreign nationals to be deposited, with the case set for mention on February 18, 2025.

The prevalence of fake academic credentials remains a significant concern in Kenya. In October 2024, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) arrested four public officers with counterfeit certificates employed in government institutions, schools, and parastatals. The emergence of such schemes poses a continuous challenge to anti-fraud agencies as culprits devise new methods to evade detection.

The arrest has sparked discussions on social media, with many Kenyans expressing concern about the integrity of academic qualifications in the country. Some have called for stricter measures to prevent such fraudulent schemes, while others highlighted the importance of thorough background checks on educational institutions. This incident serves as a wake-up call for prospective students to ensure that their chosen institutions are accredited by relevant authorities before enrolling. As the case unfolds, more details are expected to emerge, shedding light on how such operations were conducted without detection for so long.

Authorities have urged the public to verify the accreditation status of educational institutions before enrolling to avoid falling victim to similar scams.

For more updates, stay tuned to Nairobian.