Four suspects, including two foreign nationals, have been arrested in connection with a fraudulent university operating out of White Sands Hotel in Mombasa County, where participants were awarded fake Master’s and PhD degrees after just three days of training.

The suspects—American citizen Dayis Lawrence Bennett, Pakistani national Farah Akab, and Kenyan nationals Ekra Ndung’u and Josephine Ndune—were apprehended by law enforcement officers from Bamburi Police Station after authorities uncovered the scheme.

The operation was abruptly halted when police raided the venue and arrested the suspects as they prepared to issue degrees.

Among the fraudulent qualifications awarded were three Master of Business Administration (Leadership and Management) degrees and two honorary PhDs in Leadership (Hon. Causa).

The suspects were arraigned before the Shanzu Law Courts, where they were charged with conferring degrees without accreditation of foreign universities, contrary to Section 28(2) as read with Section 5 of the Universities Act.

They pleaded not guilty and were granted a Ksh 400,000 bond with a similar surety or an alternative cash bail of Ksh 300,000.

The court also ordered that the passports of the two foreign suspects be surrendered, with the case set for mention on February 18, 2025.