Degrees Under Suspicion: MZUNI Freezes 55 Graduations as Academic Fraud Probe Deepens

Mzuzu University (MZUNI) has been rocked by a major academic integrity scare after investigators uncovered suspected tampering with student academic records, forcing the institution to withhold the graduation of 55 students and suspend several members of staff. In a hard-hitting statement released on Monday, the university confirmed that its Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) detected “irregular changes” in 103 student portals in September 2025, triggering an internal investigation that has now escalated into a full probe involving the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the university’s legal office. According to the institution, the altered records were immediately reversed and the affected student portals blocked to prevent further manipulation.

Of the 103 flagged cases, 55 belonged to students due to graduate, whose graduation has now been suspended pending the outcome of investigations. In a move seen as an admission of the seriousness of the matter, MZUNI has also suspended some staff members named as suspects to pave the way for unhindered investigations. The university said it will not shield any employee and that all suspects will be subjected to due process.

The scandal has sent shockwaves through the academic community, with fears that academic certificates could lose credibility if fraud is not decisively dealt with. “MZUNI has never conferred any fake academic awards,” the statement reads, adding that the university has a “robust and secure” management system and functional quality assurance mechanisms to safeguard academic standards. The Institutional Integrity Committee is expected to conclude investigations by the end of February 2026, after which key findings will be shared with stakeholders. The unfolding scandal now places Mzuzu University under intense public scrutiny, with students, parents and employers anxiously waiting to see whether Malawi’s higher education system can clean up its own house — or whether deeper systemic rot lies beneath the surface.