A moment of celebration turned chaotic at Rongo University on Friday, November 28, when a young woman attempted to pose as a graduate during the institution’s 10th graduation ceremony.

Chelang’at Mercy, a communication student, reportedly borrowed a graduation gown from a friend who had lent it to her acquaintance, only to disappear with it the night before the ceremony.

According to witnesses, she later switched off her phone, sparking confusion and panic for the rightful owner of the gown.

How the Drama Unfolded

The man whose gown had gone missing said he searched for Chelang’at throughout the night, only for her to claim she was still “doing her nails.” Minutes later, her phone went off.

“We searched for her until 3am. After sending people to check on her, she stopped responding to calls. In the morning, someone said she was at Bethany, but when we went there, she wasn’t,” he explained.

Running out of options, the group decided to confront her family during the graduation ceremony itself. Her relatives had gathered to celebrate her anticipated achievement—unaware that her name was not on the official graduation list.

Confrontation During the Ceremony

When confronted, Chelang’at reportedly denied the accusations. However, the man insisted that those present check the official list of graduates. Her name was nowhere to be found.

Visibly disappointed, the man expressed his frustration at the alleged deception.

“You are crazy. We were concentrating on the shoot, then you ran with my gown. You even said it was yours,” he said, while pointing at the gown.

In a dramatic scene, a woman believed to be her mother knelt down, pleading on behalf of her daughter. The gesture, however, did little to ease tensions.

Graduates Express Their Disapproval

The confrontation attracted the attention of other graduates, some of whom spoke angrily about the disrespect shown to their academic journey.

“We have suffered a lot in this school. Look at me—my village members stitched me an Italian suit after 10 years of waiting. Then somebody comes and jokes about our education,” one man lamented in the background.

The incident left many in shock, with some students calling for tighter gown distribution measures to prevent similar occurrences in future ceremonies.

A Ceremony Marred but Not Derailed

Despite the unexpected chaos, the graduation ceremony proceeded successfully, with more than 1,500 students conferred degrees, diplomas, and certificates across various disciplines.

The university has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.

President Donald Trump has said he will “permanently pause migration” to the US from all “third world countries”.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the decision would “allow the US system to fully recover” from immigration policies which had eroded the “gains and living conditions” of many Americans. He did not give details of his plan or name which countries might be affected.

The president also blamed refugees for causing the “social dysfunction in America” and vowed to remove “anyone who is not a net asset” to the US.

His comments come a day after an Afghan national was accused of shooting two members of the National Guard in Washington DC, one of whom died on Thursday.

Trump previously said the shooting underlined a major national security threat and he promised to take steps to remove any foreigner “from any country who does not belong here”.

On Wednesday, the US suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghans, saying the decision was made pending a review of “security and vetting protocols”.

In his latest post on Thursday night local time, Trump also pledged to “end all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens”.

Earlier on Thursday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it would re-examine green cards issued to individuals who immigrated to the US from 19 countries.

When asked by the BBC which countries were on the list, the agency pointed to a June proclamation by the White House that included Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia and Venezuela.

There were no further details about what the re-examination would look like.

Both announcements follow reports that the suspect in Washington DC shooting came to the US in 2021 under a programme that offered special immigration protections to Afghans in the wake of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Officials said Rahmanullah Lakanwa once worked alongside the CIA in Afghanistan and helped guard US forces at Kabul airport during evacuations, a former military commander who served alongside him told the BBC’s Afghan Service.