Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) was thrown into confusion on Tuesday after hackers infiltrated its financial management system and erased all outstanding fee balances for students set to graduate this year.
The breach, which stunned staff and learners alike, has sparked urgent investigations as the institution races to restore order ahead of its upcoming graduation ceremony.
According to preliminary reports, the cyberattack targeted the university’s online student portal, where tuition balances and clearance details are stored.
By the time ICT officials detected the intrusion, the attackers had already manipulated records, setting hundreds of students’ accounts to “fully paid.”
The sudden disappearance of fee arrears triggered excitement across the student body, with some believing the university had granted an unexpected waiver.However, university administrators quickly clarified that the change was unauthorized and likely part of a sophisticated breach.
They urged students not to rely on the altered records as valid clearance documents.
The ICT department immediately shut down the affected system to prevent further tampering and began working with cybersecurity experts to trace the source of the attack.
For many finalists, the incident has brought anxiety and uncertainty. Some expressed concern that delays in reinstating accurate records could affect their graduation plans.
Others, however, viewed the situation with humour, joking that the hackers had acted like “digital philanthropists” by momentarily freeing them from financial pressure.University officials have assured students and parents that no personal banking details were compromised.
They emphasized that the institution is strengthening its cybersecurity measures to prevent future breaches and will communicate once the accurate fee data is restored.