A growing number of highly educated university graduates across Kenya and the Global South are earning substantial income by ‘ghost-writing’ essays and dissertations for students in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other Western countries.
In this BMA featured video report shot in Nairobi, Kenya, graduates share their experiences of working as “shadow scholars,” revealing both the financial opportunities and ethical questions surrounding this booming underground industry.
The video also highlights the scale of the industry, which reportedly employs thousands in Nairobi alone, and shows how demand remains high despite a decline triggered by the rise of AI tools and tighter regulations in countries like the UK.
View the full video report below;
[This current affairs report item is provided as part of Broadcast Media Africa (BMA)’s mandate to keep Africa’s broadcast media audiences and stakeholders informed on international developments in local and global humanitarian and public service broadcasting.]