Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) shut down a graduation ceremony at a church in Changamwe, Mombasa County, after discovering that the institution behind it was not accredited to award degrees.

In the company of officers from the Commission for University Education (CUE), the sleuths made their way to the venue and found the ceremony already underway.

According to investigators, the event had been organised by a local training institute in partnership with a theological university, an institution reportedly based in Ghana.

When questioned, the organisers, directors, and officials failed to produce valid accreditation documents from CUE, which nullified the degrees and certificates the institution was handing out.

Preliminary findings revealed the college was registered with the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) and is only authorised to offer courses up to diploma level.

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However, a review of the graduation list revealed serious violations, with five individuals listed as graduating with master’s degrees and another 17 set to receive degree certificates.

Considering the failure to produce valid accreditation documents from CUE, investigators noted that the institution lacks both the license and legal authority to confer degrees or postgraduate qualifications under Kenyan law.

As a result, six officials linked to the ceremony were arrested, including the president of the institution, board members, and two others.

The suspects are currently being held in custody as detectives process the case ahead of their arraignment in court.

This bust follows a February 2025 raid of Northwestern Christian University’s graduation ceremony in Mombasa by DCI and CUE officials, citing the university’s lack of accreditation.

During that operation, authorities cancelled more than 100 degree certificates and arrested university officials.

The DCI and CUE have since urged Kenyans to exercise caution and verify the accreditation status of institutions before enrolling, warning that academic shortcuts often lead to legal and professional dead ends.