The Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) Director-General, Dr. Juma Mukhwana, has warned that they are weeding out all holders of fake academic certificates and prosecuting them for the offense of uttering a false document.
Mukhwana is now calling for the collaboration of the National government, County government and the employers to join the fight in weeding out quack graduates from the market.
“You can imagine that if you have a fake doctor or a fake engineer it means that the lives of the people are in danger,” said Mukwhwana.
Speaking during a graduation of 124 Scaffolders at Africa Oil and Gas Company (AGOL) in Miritini Mombasa County, the DG said his education regulating authority has intensified its fight to make sure only genuine graduates are allowed to work within the country and across borders.
The quality education regulator boss said foreigners seeking employment in the country and Kenyan students studying abroad that their academic papers will go through a thorough scrutiny when seeking employment in the country to meet the standards set by the government..
Mukhwana said KNQA has partnered with the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Department of Immigration Services and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ensure people with fake academic papers are not allowed to use them in the country.
The training of the 124 youths was sponsored by AGOL Chairman Mohamed Jaffer who pledged to sponsor the construction of Technical Education Institute to provide technical skills for Kenya labor market and cross the border. The AGOL boss said Africa as a continent has been lacking technical expertise hence sourcing expatriates to bridge the gap of the workforce.
Jane Muigai the Director of Toolkit iSkills Technical Training Institute underscored the importance of the 124 youth graduates in bringing international best practices in scaffolding to Kenya.
She said that the training will internationalize Kenya’s education in support of African Free Trade.