For some time now, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has gone out on investigations to smoke out Kenyans holding fake academic certificates. Fake academic certificates have been a proverbial menace in the country, from the highest echelons of administration down to the lowest ranks of any office in Kenya.
In an earlier interview, EACC Chairperson Bishop David Oginde said the campaign targeted all arms of the national government and county government departments to ensure that only qualified personnel were allowed in the establishments.
Cases of cheating and fake qualifications, he noted, were on the increase with a good number of Kenyans securing public jobs, without the requisite qualifications.
“The cases are quite a number. We are finding a lot of reports from across the country and in different categories of government offices. It has come to us as something that we need to work on,” Bishop Oginde said.
Today, on 13th February 2024, EACC Chairperson David Oginde and CEO Twalib Mbarak together with the Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed I. Amin will receive from the Public Service Commission (PSC) a Report on the Authentication of Academic and Professional Certificates in the Public Service, to inform law enforcement actions against public officials with fake academic certificates.
The authentication exercise, undertaken by PSC, revealed numerous cases of public officials who forged academic and professional certificates to secure Government jobs and promotions.
The law allows EACC to recover all salaries and benefits earned based on fake academic qualifications. In addition, the offenders are liable to criminal prosecution.
Bishop Oginde said EACC was equally actively investigating cases of illegal payments in both national and county governments.
The menace, he said, was rampant with officers siphoning billions of shillings through non-existent trips and seminars.