The Public Service Commission (PSC) has revealed that more than 2,000 public servants acquired their positions using forged academic and professional qualifications.
According to PSC Chairman Ambassador Anthony Muchiri, the most affected ministries include Interior and Energy. Other notable parastatals include Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), and the Geothermal and Development Corporation, as well as several public universities.
Amb. Anthony Muchiri yesterday said the identified public servants constitute part of 2,067 forgery cases.
“We believe this number is not final as the authentication exercise is still ongoing and we expect to receive more cases of forgeries,” said Muchiri.
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The investigation targeted 331 institutions, including 52 Ministries, State Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), 239 State corporations and Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies, and 40 public universities.
Requirements for Institutions
These institutions were required to submit lists of graduands in the last 10 years, provide lists of graduands in subsequent graduations at the end of every calendar year, and furnish the commission with access and verification credentials for online verification of academic and professional certificates of job-seeking candidates.
Despite only 195 institutions complying, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) found 1,280 cases out of the submitted 58,599 to be forged.
Furthermore, 787 officers within Ministries, State Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have been identified as having obtained appointments and promotions in the public service through the use of forged documents.
Forgery Tactics
The report notably exposed a variety of forgery tactics, encompassing the alteration of KCSE mean grades, production of counterfeit KCSE certificates, and fabrication of education credentials. Furthermore, discrepancies such as mismatched certificate numbers and manipulated degree classifications were identified.
Additional types of forgery discovered include instances where names on certain certificates were falsified, with the culprit’s name differing from the actual owner.
The PSC has recommended forwarding all cases to the DCI for thorough prosecution, with a strong emphasis on recovering ill-gotten gains and assets obtained through fraudulent means. Additionally, individuals implicated in these fraudulent activities are to be denied any form of benefits, including pensions, allowances, or leave.
The comprehensive report has been submitted to the DCI and the EACC.
