The Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) has begun efforts to streamline the country’s education system with an aim to rid it of fake certificates.
In a statement on Thursday February 22 KNQA raised the alarm over the rising cases of employees possessing fake academic credentials.
“There has been a noticeable rise in the prevalence of counterfeit qualifications, encompassing both academic and professional certificates,” said Dr Alice Kande, Acting Director General, KNQA.
Dr. Kande noted that many Kenyans with genuine credentials remain unemployed as those with questionable qualifications get jobs.
“In conducting validation and alignment of qualifications to the KNQF, the Authority has confirmed documented about 30% of academic papers are fraudulently or falsified or interfered with,” the Authority said.
Also Read: EACC Arrests Govt Official Over Fake Degree
KNQA on Employers to Verify Academic Papers
In response concerning the uptick in the prevalence of counterfeit qualifications, KNQA called upon employers to verify academic papers before making hiring decisions.
“KNQA therefore wishes to encourage all employers to engage the Authority in determining the authenticity of qualifications held by both current and prospective employees to ensure that only qualified persons are in correct positions,” KNQA said.
Furthermore, the Authority emphasized that the fake certificates typically fail to meet the standards established by the KNQA, including minimum entry requirements, progression pathways and duration of study.
“The issuance of fraudulently acquired certificates by education and training institutions is inimical to the Qualifications Authority as it puts the lives of Kenyans and citizens of other jurisdictions at high risk.”
“Also, the proliferation of fraudulent credentials poses a significant threat to the integrity of our higher education system, undermining its credibility,” read part of the statement.
KNQA also reiterated that it is actively working towards establishing and maintaining a national database of national qualifications.
“This is in line with the international commitments to develop an accurate, reliable and robust database of all qualifications in the country that will allow for comparability and information sharing in the education sector,” said the Authority.
The Authority also emphasized that once the database is in place, it will eradicate fraudulent and falsified qualifications, as it will serve as a central repository where one can easily check and query all qualifications.
Also read: Arrests as Crackdown on Govt Employees with Forged Certificates Starts
Rise in Number of Forgery Certificates
Concerns by KNQA came after a revelation by the Public Service Commission (PSC) that some public servants in critical government parastatals acquired their positions using fake certificates.
PSC Chairperson, Anthony Muchiri, stated that the individuals were part of 2,067 forgery cases discovered in an investigation launched in October 2022.
The probe targeted 331 institutions among them 52 Ministries, State Departments and Agencies (MDAs), 239 State corporations and Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies and 40 public universities.
