Over 2,000 forged academic papers used to secure state jobs - report
According to PSC, a good number of civil servants secured jobs and promotions using forged academic and professional papers.
Over 2,000 fake academic and professional certificates were used to obtain job opportunities in government institutions.
This is according to the Public Service Commission (PSC) audit report of academic and professional certificates of all civil servants employed in the last ten years.
The report revealed that the Ministry of Interior tops the list of staff with the highest number of fake papers.
Others include Geothermal Development Company under the Ministry of Energy, Kenyatta National Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).
PSC chairman Anthony Mwaniki Muchiri said the number could go higher as the audit exercise continues in all government institutions.
"787 civil servants were found to have used fake certificates to obtain appointments, promotions or transfers, bringing the total to almost 2,000 fake certificates and documents," Mr Muchiri said.
The PSC found that the most common types of forgery in the public service range from fake academic certificates, alteration of KCSE average grades, fake KSCE certificates, fake certificates and some cases where certificates were presented to secure jobs but did not belong to the alleged holder.
Also rampant are cases of fake Bachelor’s Degree Certificates Second Division (Lower) where they have been altered to reflect Second Division (Upper).
According to Mr Muchiri, one of the challenges the commission faces is where the implicated officers resign or apply for early retirement before disciplinary action is taken against them.
The audit covered all government ministries, departments and agencies (52), all government corporations and parastatals (239) and all 40 public universities and other tertiary institutions, bringing the total to 331.
EACC Chairman David Oginde, CEO Twalib Mbarak and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin assured the public that action would be taken on such cases raised and that the people would see the action going forward.
EACC Chairperson David Oginde
"We will do our part to investigate, identify, or authenticate all the people who have gone through this process and take the necessary action.
"Anybody who is found culpable will bear the consequences of their evil, including forfeiture of whatever they may have earned over a period of time that they served under the same fake certificate," Mr Oginde said.
Mr Mbarak said the EACC would recover the money acquired through the fake certificate and action would be taken against the culprits.
"If we start using fake certificates, the message out there is don't rely on the Kenyan certification system, people are using a lot of fake certificates.
"You are undermining the education system of this country...we will recover the money that has been paid for all that time and there will be a criminal aspect to it," Mr Mbarak said.
