Triephornia Mpinganjira Breaks Silence as MZUNI Student Shares Fraud Arrest Story

A student from Mzuzu University, identified as Kenneth Feston, has come forward claiming he was misled and wrongly implicated in a cyber fraud case after seeking financial assistance for his tuition fees.

Kenneth, who says he was studying Education, explained that he had shared his financial struggles on Facebook after failing to secure support from the Higher Education Students’ Loans and Grants Board (HELB). Facing the risk of being withdrawn from school due to unpaid tuition, he appealed to the public for help.

According to Kenneth, a man later contacted him by phone claiming to operate an agency that helps struggling students pay school fees. During their conversation, the caller allegedly requested Kenneth’s personal details, including his full name, email address, and National ID number, which he provided in the hope of receiving assistance.

Two weeks later, Kenneth says he was asked to meet two individuals at the main entrance of the Mzuzu University campus. However, upon arrival, the situation changed.

“At first they were friendly, then suddenly their attitude changed,” Kenneth recalled.

He says the two people identified themselves as police officers and immediately arrested him, accusing him of creating a Facebook account under the name Mrs. Triephornia Mpinganjira, which investigators claimed had been used to scam people through mobile money fraud.

Kenneth was initially taken to Mzuzu Police Station before being transferred to Lingadzi Police Station in Lilongwe for further investigations.

He maintains that he had no knowledge of the alleged fraudulent activities. However, he claims investigators did not believe his explanation and persuaded him to sign a confession statement, allegedly promising that he would be released if he cooperated.

Instead, Kenneth says he spent about a week in police custody, surviving mostly on water, before being transferred to Maula Prison.

He further alleges that officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) assaulted him during interrogations, accusing him of being involved in online scams.

According to Kenneth, police showed him records indicating that large sums of Airtel Money transactions had passed through a phone number linked to him. Despite insisting that he never accessed the funds, he claims investigators dismissed his explanation.

The student has since shared his version of events in a series of videos circulating online, sparking widespread debate on social media.

The case has also raised questions after police earlier described Kenneth as an ICT student at Mzuzu University in a statement released in August 2024.

However, Kenneth insists he was actually pursuing a degree in Education, creating uncertainty about the accuracy of the initial police report.

Meanwhile, Triephornia Mpinganjira has released a statement addressing the matter amid growing online discussions.

In the statement dated March 10, 2026, Mpinganjira confirmed that she had personally forgiven Kenneth, but stressed that the case was a criminal matter handled by the State, not a private dispute between the two.

She also explained that she deliberately avoided making public statements earlier due to concerns about fraudsters repeatedly creating fake social media accounts using her name.

Because of the continued misuse of her identity online, Mpinganjira revealed that she decided to permanently deactivate and delete her Facebook account to prevent further scams.

She has since called on the public and media to avoid involving her name in speculation or commentary surrounding the case, saying she wishes to protect her privacy and personal dignity.

Authorities have yet to issue a fresh update regarding the allegations raised by Kenneth.