By Eddah Waithaka
Top government officials sounded the alarm over a surge in fake academic and professional certificates flooding Kenya’s public sector, demanding urgent reforms to root out fraudsters and restore merit-based hiring.
At the 2025 Ethics and Integrity Conference at Sarova Stanley Hotel today, Felix Koskei, Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, warned that forgery is eroding Kenya’s core values.
“This vice strikes at the heart of competence and integrity in our institutions,” he said. “We must confront it decisively.”
Shocking Scale of Fraud
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed staggering numbers: since 2022, investigators have probed 549 cases of forged credentials.
Prosecutors have taken up 85 cases, securing 13 convictions and 7 acquittals. The EACC is now chasing down salaries and benefits fraudulently earned by employees who faked their qualifications.
A sweeping verification exercise across 91 public institutions uncovered 1,208 fake certificates out of 53,000 reviewed submissions.
The worst offenders? State corporations and senior agencies, accounting for 70% of forgeries, followed by public universities with 116 cases.
Fraud at Every Level
Koskei disclosed that 787 officers in tertiary institutions used fake papers to land jobs, promotions, or resignations.
The scams span secondary schools, TVETs, and even international universities. The 2023–2024 national values report exposed more rot: among 168,000 officers audited, 859 held fake degrees, 160 had bogus professional papers, and a shocking 24,000 lacked any certification at all.
Youth Unemployment Crisis Worsens
With Kenya’s youth unemployment at 67%, Koskei slammed the injustice: “Genuine first-class graduates struggle while fraudsters thrive.”
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The scandal also threatens Kenya’s global standing, warned EACC Chair Dr. David Oginde, as unqualified workers risk tarnishing the country’s reputation—especially under the labour export program.
Employers Under Fire
Only 49 institutions reported forgery cases, with just 43 providing evidence, raising fears of complacency. Authorities now vow to hold employers accountable.
“They are the gatekeepers,” Koskei said. “We will deal with them if they fail to verify documents.”
Dr. Oginde stressed that Chapter Six of the Constitution, mandating integrity and competence in public appointments, must guide all hiring.
The conference closed with pledges for stricter integrity audits and annual ethics reviews, signaling a tougher stance against a crisis undermining Kenya’s future.
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