It was meant to be a day of academic triumph, but the celebration in Changamwe ended in handcuffs rather than honors. In a dramatic turn of events on Sunday, detectives stormed a graduation ceremony, halting the festivities and arresting the institution's leadership just as students prepared to receive their certificates.

The raid exposes the persistent and predatory underbelly of degree mills in Kenya, where aspiring professionals lose time and money chasing qualifications that no employer will recognize. The crackdown, executed by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Commission for University Education (CUE), targeted an entity operating well beyond its legal mandate.

A Web of Deception

Officers from the Serious Crime Unit moved in on the event organized by the Menorah Training Institute, which claims affiliation with the Dominion Mission Theological University Global—an entity reportedly based in Ghana. The disruption was not merely administrative; the institution's President, Board Members, and two other officials were taken into custody immediately.

According to the DCI, the organizers failed to produce the mandatory accreditation documents required to confer university-level qualifications. The discrepancy between the institute's legal standing and its actions was stark.

“Preliminary investigations further 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,” the DCI noted in a statement following the raid.

Dreams Deferred

For the students and their families, the raid represents a devastating blow. In an economy where a legitimate university degree can cost upwards of KES 600,000 over four years, the financial and emotional toll of falling victim to an unaccredited institution is immense. The specific cohort set to graduate on Sunday included:

• 5 individuals slated to receive Master’s Degrees.
• 17 individuals expecting to receive Bachelor's Degree Certificates.

These are qualifications the institution is neither licensed nor authorized to award under Kenyan law. The suspects remain in police custody pending arraignment, while the CUE has issued a stern reminder to the public.

“We urge members of the public to verify the accreditation status of institutions before enrolling,” the Commission advised, emphasizing that due diligence is the only shield against academic fraud.