KNEC calls for collection of 2022, 2023 examination certificates

Students who sat for various levels of examinations in the years 2022 and 2023 have been urged to collect their certificates from their respective institutions.

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has said the certificates for the 2022 KCSE, 2022 and 2023 Diploma in Teacher Education (DTE), Diploma in Special Needs Education (DSNE), and Early Childhood Development (ECDE ) are ready for collection.

The announcement comes as a relief to many candidates who have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of their well-deserved certificates.

“Your long-awaited certificates are ready for pickup at the respective examination centres where you sat for the exams,” the Council said.

KCPE and KCSE certificates are crucial for admission to most higher learning institutions and for job applications.

However, in early February this year, the Public Service Commission (PSC), in collaboration with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), released startling statistics indicating that more than 2,000 public servants are in possession of forged academic and professional qualifications.

The investigation, which was initiated in October 2022, targeted various ministries, state departments, and semi-autonomous government agencies.

Out of the 2,067 forgery cases uncovered, a significant number of instances were traced back to key government institutions.

PSC Chairman Ambassador Anthony Muchiri said the Ministry of Interior led with the highest number, followed by Energy and other notable parastatals such as Kenyatta National Hospital and several public universities.

“We believe this number is not final as the authentication exercise is still ongoing and we expect to receive more cases of forgeries,” Muchiri said.

EACC Chief Executive Officer Twalib Mbarak asserted that he will undertake a thorough investigation to recover all salaries and benefits earned by officials who used fake academic qualifications to secure their positions.

Despite the issue of fake certificates among public servants, many legitimate certificates remain uncollected.

Last year, KNEC published a list of over 4,000 candidates who had not collected their national exam certificates from 2001 to 2020. The list included 1,920 KCPE certificates and 2,841 KCSE certificates.

This prompted the Council to initiate efforts to sensitise clients on the importance of collecting their certificates.