A student preparing to graduate from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has raised concerns over what they describe as a sudden and unexplained increase in their fee balance just days before the university's graduation ceremony.
The student says they previously had an outstanding balance of KSh15,000, only to visit the Finance Department and allegedly discover a new KSh18,000 charge, pushing the total amount owed to approximately KSh23,000.
The student says the new balance does not include the graduation fee.
The timing has caused further frustration because the student is expected to graduate on August 14, 2026, leaving only days to raise thousands of shillings that they say they were not expecting.
The student also claims that other former JKUAT students have experienced similar problems around graduation, although that broader allegation has not been independently established.
JKUAT's own published information shows that fees are a formal requirement for students, with the university publishing fee schedules for different programmes and categories of students.
But the central question in this complaint is not whether students should pay legitimate fees.
It is whether students should suddenly discover unexplained charges immediately before graduation and then struggle to obtain a clear explanation from the Finance Department.
The complaint received ¶
Hello am a student at JKUAT tunafaa kugraduate 14 august. Like me i had a balance of 15,000 but all of a sudden naenda finance ya shule wananiambia niko na a fresh fee balance of 18,000 bringing a total of 23,000 just two weeks to graduation mind you the 23,000 doesn't include the graduation fee. I've heard that this is how JKUAT do to all graduating students. They add some amount that even the guys at the finance department can't explain. Expose the rotten administration of JKUAT the other allumni can confirm. Hide id
The student's account raises questions that JKUAT should answer publicly.
What is the KSh18,000 charge?
When was it incurred?
Which specific fee item does it represent?
Was the student notified before the charge appeared?
Why was it not reflected in the student's previous balance?
And why are graduating students allegedly discovering additional balances only days before the graduation ceremony?
If the charge is legitimate, the university should have no difficulty providing an itemised statement showing exactly how the amount was calculated.
If it is an accounting or portal error, it should be corrected immediately.
This is not the first time JKUAT students have complained about finance issues ¶
JKUAT has previously acknowledged student concerns surrounding its Finance Department.
In a JKUAT student open forum, students raised complaints about endless queues at Student Finance and poor services, with the university administration acknowledging the concerns and pointing students towards online financial services.
That history makes the latest complaint worth investigating rather than dismissing it as an isolated misunderstanding.
A university finance system must be capable of showing students exactly what they owe.
A student should not have to stand at a Finance Department counter days before graduation trying to understand where a new charge came from.
JKUAT's fee system has previously faced controversy ¶
In December 2025, claims circulated online that JKUAT's student portal had been hacked and students' fee balances had been wiped.
JKUAT subsequently said the temporary display of zero balances was caused by a routine system upgrade rather than a cyberattack. Africa Check also reported the university's explanation and found that the hacking claims were misleading.
That incident demonstrated how sensitive student financial records are.
When students see unexpected changes in their balances, the university needs to communicate quickly and clearly.
Otherwise, confusion can easily turn into accusations of manipulation.
The latest complaint therefore deserves an itemised answer from the institution, particularly because the student says the new balance appeared shortly before graduation.
Other Kenyan universities have faced student complaints over administration ¶
The issue also comes against the background of complaints previously raised by students at other Kenyan institutions.
Students at Turkana University College previously raised concerns over overcrowding, inadequate facilities and what they described as declining quality of education. The complaints painted a picture of students who felt that institutional problems were directly affecting their university experience.
At Kibabii University, 47 Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates previously complained after being left out of the internship process despite having completed their training. They said they had expected to progress into internship but found themselves caught between the university, the Nursing Council of Kenya and the Ministry of Health.
The cases are different, but they highlight the same broader problem.
When university administration fails to communicate clearly, it is students who ultimately carry the consequences.
Graduation should not become a financial ambush ¶
For a student who has completed years of university education, graduation is supposed to mark the end of one chapter.
Instead, this student says they are facing an unexpected financial demand just days before walking across the graduation stage.
That creates serious practical problems.
Where will the student find the additional KSh18,000?
What happens if they cannot raise it?
Can a student who has completed all academic requirements be blocked from graduation because of a disputed or unexplained financial balance?
And what procedure does JKUAT have for students who dispute an amount appearing on their account?
These questions should be answered before graduation day.
JKUAT's official information also identifies its customer care and student support functions as responsible for handling queries involving course fees, fee payments and graduation requirements, as well as resolving student grievances and ensuring fair and transparent resolution.
That gives the university an existing channel through which the complaint can be addressed.
HELB and HEF records should also be checked where applicable ¶
For students whose fees involve government funding, scholarships or loans, unexplained balances can become even more complicated.
JKUAT's current student funding information says government placed students may receive support through the Higher Education Financing system, with the university using the student's HEF information to determine the applicable household fee component.
Where the student is funded through such a system, JKUAT should reconcile the university's records against the relevant funding records before demanding payment.
The Higher Education Financing Board (HEF) should also clarify any discrepancies where a student believes their funding has not been properly reflected.
The university should publish an explanation ¶
This complaint should not require a social media exposé to receive an answer.
JKUAT should simply provide the student with an itemised statement showing:
Previous balance: KSh15,000.
New charge: KSh18,000.
Reason for the new charge.
Date the charge was posted.
Applicable fee structure or regulation.
Graduation fee, separately stated.
If the figures are correct, the student can then know exactly what they are being asked to pay.
If there is an error, it can be corrected before graduation.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) should also take note of complaints involving transparency and student administration where institutional processes appear to leave students without clear avenues for resolving disputes.
Where the matter concerns possible financial misconduct or deliberate manipulation of records, the relevant investigative and oversight bodies can assess the evidence.
But the first responsibility lies with JKUAT.
JKUAT must separate legitimate fees from unexplained charges ¶
There is nothing inherently wrong with a university requiring students to clear legitimate outstanding fees before graduation.
The problem begins when students cannot obtain a clear explanation of what they are being charged.
A KSh18,000 increase is not pocket change for an ordinary Kenyan student.
And when it appears just days before graduation, the financial pressure becomes even more severe.
The university should therefore explain whether the reported KSh18,000 is a legitimate outstanding obligation, an adjustment, a previously omitted charge, a system error or something else.
JKUAT should also clarify whether other graduating students have experienced similar unexplained changes in their balances.
If several students have reported the same problem, the university should conduct an internal reconciliation before graduation rather than forcing individual students to fight their cases one by one.
The student has asked for anonymity for fear of victimisation.
JKUAT should now provide answers.
Because if a student has spent years working towards graduation, the final hurdle should not be an unexplained figure appearing on a finance portal with nobody willing to explain where it came from.