Fake academic papers probe: EACC asks state offices not to pay suspects' retirement dues

The anti-corruption authority has directed public institutions to halt the processing and payment of terminal dues for public officers resigning or retiring early to avoid investigations into forged academic certificates.

In a circular dated March 11, 2024, Twalib Mbarak, chief executive of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), said they have noticed that several public institutions have permitted public officers with forged documents to resign or retire early.

"It has come to the attention of the commission that some public institutions have allowed public officers with cases of forged academic and professional certificates to resign or proceed on early retirement and processed payment of terminal benefits without following the law," Twalib said.

"To this end, the commission advises that all accounting or authorised officers should not process benefits including pensions or unpaid allowances, and accrued leave to persons found to have used fraudulent academic qualifications to gain employment in the public service."

Mbarak also ordered the institutions to verify the academic and professional certificates of all their serving public officers.

“All cases of forged academic and professional certificates should be submitted to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission for further action in accordance with the law," Twalib said, adding that the "salaries, allowances and benefits earned by public officers who secured employment using forged academic and professional certificates are recoverable in full".

In February 2024, the Public Service Commission (PSC) reported that more than 2,000 public officers had secured jobs, promotions and re-designations using fake academic papers.

The details were discovered after the PSC undertook an authentication exercise on the academic credentials of public officers.

So far, several suspects have been arrested by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) for forging documents to secure jobs in government.

Recently, four people were arraigned at Eldoret Law Courts for allegedly using forged documents to acquire public service jobs.

According to the DCI, it is suspected that they forged certificates to secure jobs at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. They were charged with forging academic certificates, making false documents, uttering false documents and the fraudulent acquisition of public property.

The four denied the charges and were released on Sh300,000 bond or Sh100,000 cash bail each.

On February 15, 2024, a Ministry of Education official stationed in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, was charged with five counts of forgery for allegedly fabricating academic qualifications to secure employment at a government department.

The DCI said the suspect forged a degree certificate and academic transcripts to land a job at the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

He denied the charge and was released on Sh200,000 cash bail.