FEE SCAM: THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN MEETS THE EYE

By Mohammed Doyo

It has been a week of hullabaloos, senate and disciplinary meetings where over two hundred students have been appearing before these bodies to answer charges of what has been termed as ‘fraud’ by the university.

We have received several calls from the students inquiring why the press club is not commenting or writing anything about the saga. Well, as expected, senior authorities in the institution’s management had already warned us against writing anything concerning the saga but in this 21st century of accountability, transparency and free speech, students must be allowed to comment and discuss what affects them and their institution openly. The constitution is clear about this; Chapter 4 on the bill of rights, Article 33(1) on freedom of expression and Article 35(1) demystifies these fundamental rights.

For starters, a major scam where students colluded with staff in the account’s department to avoid paying fees occurred. Students, after paying a certain percent of the total fee required would liaise with ‘student dealers' who would link them to the school’s accountant who in turn would make sure the school accounts system read the student has cleared paying ALL the fee. 

it is said the students, the dealers and the accountants would then share the balance among themselves in agreed proportions. Sources privy to The 3rd Eye have revealed that the institution lost over Ksh. 10 million in the process. And as we speak, the figure might drastically rise after a fresh list of over a thousand students was released on Friday. The students in the new list have been ordered to appear before the security office as well as the account’s staff to counter check some of their receipts.The most affected schools are school of Business/Economics and School of Education.

From last week, close to 200 students have been appearing before the institution’s Student’s disciplinary committee to answer the charges; of failing to respect and adhere to the administrative rules and procedures of the university; of committing fraud against the university that led to the loss of Ksh 10,295,146/=. The above offences are said to be in breach of article 3.1.1(a), (b) (c) and 9.0(n) of the rules and regulations governing the conduct and discipline of students of the university.

The students involved in the scam might have either knowingly or unknowingly participated in the fraud. That’s notwithstanding, choices got consequences, and if the choice is wrong, legal implications are bound to follow. Sources within the administration circles say the students have been ordered to pay the fees they defrauded the institution as well as a fine of Ksh. 10,000 among other penalties.

But as the disciplinary committee decides on the punitive measures to take against the students, various questions ought to be answered.

First, what pushed such a huge number of students to participate in the fraud act? Why did the mechanisms that have been put in place to stop such fraud acts, fail? How long has this act of fraud going on considering that students who joined the institution in 2007 have been mentioned in the scam? What does the Varsity’s chief accountant know about this scam considering every year the varsity expects to collect certain amount of money from fees but the amount must have fell short of the targeted amount each year if the fraud happened? How did these fraud acts escape the audit department yet auditing is done every year? 

What is the role of the ICT department in this scam considering the accounts electronic systems were allegedly manipulated to facilitate the fraud? Apart from the accountants, did the senior administrators have a hand in this scam? Who should bear the greatest responsibility; the students who decided to join a fraud act after discovering it would sail through or the varsity senior staff who knowingly allowed the fraud to happen with intent of benefiting from it?

These are some of the questions that should be answered. But in the meantime, the whole situation should be handled with utmost sobriety considering a huge number of students are involved. And as much as the administration wants to solve this gargantuan debacle, let them consider the situation from a humanitarian angle especially now that the end semester exams are starting today. The students should be allowed to sit for their exams as the disciplinary hearings continue.

The writer of this opinion piece is the outgoing Secretary General of The 3rd Eye.