Photo Used for Illustration Purposes Only. Credit:Vladimir Vladimirov
On many Kenyan campuses, the final lap toward graduation is often described as the most emotionally demanding phase for students, marked by deadlines, clearance processes, and last-minute documentation hurdles that can determine whether a student finally crosses the academic finish line or waits another cycle.
One such experience has now gone viral after a university student narrated how a missing attachment record nearly cost her graduation, despite completing nearly all her academic requirements and passing her final assessments.
The student, who identified herself on Facebook as “She Writes Right,” shared a detailed account of how she was confronted with an unexpected administrative hurdle just a day before her graduation clearance deadline, after discovering that her industrial attachment marks were not reflected on her academic portal.
According to her account, she was left with 51 out of 52 units marked as complete, but the critical attachment score was missing—placing her graduation in jeopardy at the final stage of clearance.
She explained that she undertook her attachment in 2023 at Consolidated Bank of Kenya Limited after paying Ksh 20,750 to the university as attachment facilitation fees. She noted that despite the payment, students were still required to individually search for placement opportunities.
“I was initially scheduled for attachment between May and August but I did not secure a placement. Later, I got a slot at Consolidated Bank for September to December 2023,” she recounted.
However, she said the attachment period passed without any supervisor visiting or assessing her work.
After completing the program, she submitted her logbook to the institution and moved on with her studies, assuming everything had been properly documented.
Her academic journey, however, took several interruptions. She stayed out of school in 2024 as she struggled with fees and later returned in 2025 to complete her remaining two units and final-year project, which she successfully defended.
It was only during the final clearance process that she realised her attachment marks had never been captured.
The student said she was informed that her attachment records could not be verified, and the institution allegedly suggested she repeat the entire attachment process and pay the fee again in order to graduate in 2026.
“The school said they do not believe I went for attachment. I was told I would need to produce my logbook as proof, or redo the attachment,” she narrated.
The decision reportedly left her overwhelmed. She described a moment of emotional distress after receiving the news from her Head of Department, saying she broke down in public and experienced what she described as a panic attack.
Unable to reach her friend for immediate support, she called a pastor, who engaged her in a difficult but calming conversation about perspective and resilience in the face of academic setbacks.
“He asked me if missing graduation would be the end of the world. I told him it would feel like the end of mine,” she recalled.
She further explained that she reached out to the bank supervisor who had overseen her attachment, who then wrote an official email confirming that she had indeed been attached at the institution.
However, she said the university still insisted on physical proof in the form of a logbook.
With the clearance deadline looming, she was advised to physically search for the missing document in the university archives. The following morning, she reported to the institution early and waited for hours before receiving permission to access the archives room.
Inside, she was confronted with shelves of logbooks spanning several years, from as far back as 2009 to recent years, all arranged without clear order.
She described sitting on the floor of the dusty room, overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted, as she searched through records in a desperate attempt to locate hers.
“I was crying and praying, asking God to guide me to my logbook,” she said, adding that she scanned through records for hours without success as time continued to run out.
As the 5pm office closure approached on the deadline day, she said she briefly gave up hope, believing she would miss graduation despite years of academic effort.
However, in a last-minute turn of events, she said she was urged by an archives staff member to make one final attempt. Moments later, she spotted her name and admission number among the records.
Overcome with emotion, she rushed to the Head of Department’s office to present the document for verification. Although initially met with skepticism, she said the logbook was eventually confirmed as authentic after checks on dates and signatures.
By evening, she reported that her academic portal had changed status, with her attachment marks successfully updated and clearance approved just before the system deadline.
At around 8pm, she said her academic dashboard turned green, signalling final clearance for graduation eligibility.
Weeks later, she finally graduated, describing the moment as the culmination of seven years of academic struggle, financial challenges, and emotional endurance.
She concluded her account by sharing a graduation photo taken on the day of clearance, reflecting on the experience as one of the most defining moments of her academic journey.