More than 2,000 government employees obtained employment through the use of counterfeit credentials
The Public Service Commission (PSC) disclosed that a staggering number of more than 2,000 public officers managed to secure employment, promotions, and re-designations by utilizing counterfeit certificates. PSC Chairperson Ambassador Anthony Muchiri shared this revelation during a press briefing held at Commission House on February 13, 2024. The briefing, attended by representatives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), aimed to unveil a comprehensive report on the issue.
Ambassador Muchiri explained that the PSC initiated an authentication exercise in October 2022 to scrutinize academic credentials. The findings exposed widespread instances of fraudulent academic and professional certificates being employed to facilitate appointments, promotions, or re-designations within the public service. The Commission targeted 331 institutions, including Ministries, State Departments, Agencies (MDAs), State Corporations, Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies, and Public Universities, although only 195 complied with the verification process.
Out of 53,599 cases referred to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) for authentication, 1,280 were confirmed as forged. However, the number is expected to rise as the authentication process remains ongoing. So far, 195 MDAs, including universities and tertiary institutions, have completed the authentication of 29,314 certificates. Within this cohort, 787 officers were identified as having utilized counterfeit certificates for their appointments, promotions, or re-designations in the public service.
The report outlined various types of forgeries detected, such as alterations to KCSE mean grades, submission of forged KCSE certificates for individuals who did not sit for the exams, and the presentation of entirely disowned certificates by the purported issuing institutions. Other fraudulent practices included candidates not being registered in the alleged institutions, non-existent certificate numbers, altered names on certificates, and falsification of Bachelor’s Degree Certificates.
The Commission faced challenges during the process, including difficulties in contacting foreign training institutions where public officers obtained certificates and instances of implicated officers resigning or applying for early retirement before facing disciplinary action.
Ambassador Muchiri emphasized that the Commission is forwarding the academic and professional certificates report to the EACC and DCI for appropriate legal actions against the implicated officers. EACC Chairperson Dr. David Oginde and DCI Director Mr. Mohamed Amin commended the PSC for its decisive action in addressing the prevalence of fake certificates within the public service. A collaborative effort between EACC, DCI, and PSC was emphasized to ensure the removal of individuals holding fraudulent certificates and restore the integrity and efficiency of the public service.
