Foreign Suspects Nabbed in Mombasa's Selling Three-Day PhDs

Kenyan authorities have arrested four individuals, two of whom are foreign nationals, allegedly involved in a fraudulent university operation in Mombasa.

The suspects are accused of managing an unaccredited institution that promised to award Master's and PhD certificates after a mere three days of training, raising alarms among educational and regulatory entities. The fake university, reportedly located near a prominent hotel in Mombasa, was in operation until police intervention. Officers from the Bamburi Police Station disrupted the graduation ceremony to prevent the issuance of counterfeit diplomas, apprehending the suspects on-site.

Among those arrested were an American and a Pakistani national. The Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has revealed that the fraudulent institution was providing degrees that included three Master of Business Administration (MBA) qualifications in Leadership and Management, in addition to two honorary PhDs in Leadership. Following their arrest, the suspects were presented before the Shanzu Law Courts, facing charges under the Universities Act.

They are accused of conferring degrees without proper accreditation from foreign universities, in violation of Section 28(2) and Section 5 of the act. The Universities Act mandates severe penalties for such violations, including fines of up to Sh2 million or imprisonment. The suspects pleaded not guilty and have subsequently been released on a bond of Sh400,000. A follow-up hearing for their case is scheduled for February 18.

This incident highlights a persistent issue in Kenya regarding the prevalence of fraudulent academic credentials. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has been confronted with increasingly sophisticated tactics used by con artists in the education sector. In an ongoing effort to address these concerns, the EACC ramped up its operations in October 2024, arresting public officials found in possession of fake certificates across various government entities, including educational institutions, county governments, and state-owned enterprises.