State forms special task force after 787 officers found with fake certificates

The government will form a special multi-agency task force to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in the use and production of fake academic and professional certificates.

This move is part of its effort to recover over Sh460 million lost through fraudulent employment.

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei announced that the task force will include key institutions, including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Kenya National Examinations Council, and the Kenya National Qualifications Authority.

“My office shall endeavour to bring together relevant agencies to form an ad hoc task force to coordinate investigations and prosecutions of persons involved in the making of forged documents,” Koskei said on Wednesday during a one-day ethics and integrity conference in Nairobi hosted by the EACC.

The task force is expected to fast-track ongoing investigations and ensure that those found guilty are held accountable.

The move comes amid growing public concern over unqualified individuals holding sensitive positions in government institutions, often due to weak vetting systems or corruption.

Koskei confirmed that an assessment by the government revealed that public offices lead in the use of fake certificates, accounting for 70 per cent of cases, followed by university lecturers.

He pointed out that many employers have failed to verify academic documents before recruitment, contributing to the problem.

“EACC and the Public Service Commission need to push these responsibilities to the employers themselves. They have to authenticate the papers before they onboard anybody so that we don't waste a lot of government funds chasing these people,” Koskei said.

He described the situation as a serious concern that affects merit, competence, and public trust. “Falsification of academic and professional qualifications is now an issue of grave concern,” he said.

Koskei also referred to previous efforts to clean up the public service.

“The Public Service Commission issued a directive in February 2014 requiring all public institutions to authenticate their staff's academic and professional certificates, whose preliminary findings painted a deeply concerning picture,” he said.

“Of the 53,000 cases referred to the Kenya National Examination Council by 91 public institutions, 1,280 certificates were confirmed as forgeries,” he revealed.

“In 195 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), including universities and other tertiary institutions, 29,000 officers underwent certificate authentication and 787 officers were found to have secured appointments, promotions or redesignation through fraudulent documents,” the Chief of Staff added.

EACC CEO Abdi Mohamud said the commission has received 549 reports of forgery of academic and professional certificates since 2022.

“The amount of money we are looking to recover in this exercise is in the region of Sh460 million,” he said.

“Of this, 134 investigation files have been completed, with 85 files being forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions, and 33 are pending in court currently. Twenty cases have been concluded in court, resulting in 13 convictions and 7 acquittals," Abdi added.

EACC Chairperson David Oginde warned that the crisis may also be affecting the private sector.

“If anything we are seeing in the public service is anything to go by, it means that possibly a similar problem is also in the private sector,” he stated.

Oginde also accused the judiciary of not dealing firmly with fake certificate cases. “Let us not tolerate men and women who have given themselves to shortcuts in whatever field. Let us be ruthless to them,” he said.

The government has now ordered a nationwide verification of academic and professional documents for employees in both the public and private sectors.

The operation will be conducted in partnership with the EACC as the government seeks to clean up employment records and reinforce integrity in recruitment.

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