Kenyans seeking jobs in public service will now be subjected to intense scrutiny of their academic and professional qualifications.

This is after the government stepped up efforts to eliminate use of fake certificates. The government is also setting up a multi-agency team to fast-track investigations and prosecutions related to forged credentials.  

This team include key players such as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Kenya National Examinations Council, and the Kenya National Qualifications Authority.

“My office shall endeavour to bring together relevant agencies to form an ad hoc task force to coordinate investigations and prosecutions of persons involved in making of forged documents,” Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said on Wednesday.

These reforms come amid growing public concern about unqualified individuals occupying sensitive positions in government institutions, often due to weak vetting or corruption. It has also emerged that civil servants and public universities are leading the number of staff with fake or forged academic papers.

Mr Koskei said falsification of academic and professional qualifications is now an issue of grave concern, adding that it strikes at the heart of meritocracy, competence and the trust citizens place in public and private institutions.

He said the Public Service Commission issued a directive in February 2014 requiring all public intuitions to authenticated their staff academic and professional certificates, whose preliminary findings painted a deeply concerning picture.

“Of the 53,000 cases referred to the Kenya National Examination Council by 91 public institutions, 1,280 certificates were confirmed as forgeries,” said Koskei.

He added: “In 195 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) including universities and other tertiary institutions, 29,000 officers underwent certificate of authentication and 787 officers were found to have secured appointments, promotions or redesignation through fraudulent documents,” he added.

Koskei spoke on Wednesday during a one day ethics and integrity conference in Nairobi organised by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission themed; “Enhancing the Integrity of Academic and Professional Qualifications in Kenya.”

The conference is supposed to provide a first step in the direction of securing multi-sectoral support in combating this menace. It is also expected to take stock of the current circumstances and answer critical questions, including the factors driving the vice and its impact.

According to EACC chief executive officer Abdi Mohamud, since 2022 they have received and taken up for investigations, 549 reports of forgery of academic and professional certificates.

“Of this, 134 investigation files have been completed with 85 files being forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions and 33 are pending in court currently,” said Mohamud.

He added: “Twenty cases have been concluded in court resulting in 13 convictions and 7 acquittals.”