NAIROBI, Kenya — The government has announced the formation of a special multi-agency task force to investigate and prosecute individuals using or producing forged academic and professional certificates, in a sweeping crackdown aimed at reclaiming over Sh460 million lost through fraudulent employment.
The initiative, unveiled by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei during an ethics and integrity conference hosted by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in Nairobi, will bring together several key state agencies.
These include the EACC, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), and the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA).
“This ad hoc task force will coordinate investigations and prosecutions of persons involved in the making of forged documents,” Koskei said, describing the scale of forgery in the public sector as deeply alarming.
An internal assessment by the government found that public institutions account for 70% of all reported cases involving fake academic papers, with university lecturers also emerging as repeat offenders.
The report further blamed lax hiring procedures and a failure by employers to verify documents prior to recruitment.
In one of the most comprehensive audits to date, 91 public institutions referred 53,000 certificates to KNEC for verification, leading to the discovery of 1,280 forgeries.
Another audit involving 29,000 employees across 195 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) unearthed 787 cases of fraudulent appointments, promotions, or redeployments based on fake credentials.
“This is not just about fraud. It is about merit, competence, and public trust,” Koskei said. “We are spending public resources on unqualified individuals who should never have been hired in the first place.”
EACC Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud disclosed that since 2022, the commission has received 549 reports of forged certificates.
Investigations into 134 of those cases have been concluded, with 85 forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Twenty cases have been decided in court, leading to 13 convictions and seven acquittals.
Mohamud estimated that the financial loss from employing unqualified individuals is upwards of Sh460 million.
The crackdown now extends to the private sector as well, following concerns by EACC Chairperson David Oginde that the problem may be more widespread than previously thought.
“If what we’re seeing in the public service is anything to go by, the private sector is likely facing the same crisis,” Oginde warned.
He further criticised the judiciary for what he termed leniency in handling fake certificate cases.
“We must not tolerate shortcuts. Let us be ruthless in dealing with those who fake their way into positions of trust,” he said.
The task force is expected to fast-track investigations, enforce accountability, and oversee a nationwide verification of academic and professional documents for all public and private sector employees.
The government has directed that all employers—particularly in public service—immediately begin authenticating staff qualifications to prevent future abuse.
