Muturi vows to eradicate fake certificates among public servants

Public Service Cabinet Secretary nominee Justin Muturi has pledged to tackle the issue of fake certificates among public servants.

Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments on Sunday, he emphasised the need for strict action against those involved in fraudulent activities.

"It is criminal, and to send a clear message to those who may be involved, the best way is that they should be arrested and prosecuted," Muturi stated.

The former Attorney General highlighted that he was aware of reports indicating that some public servants secured employment using forged academic or other documents.

“I think this is a matter that I have seen some reports on, indicating that several public servants have used forged documents to secure employment fraudulently. We must send a clear message that crime does not pay. Those in public service using fraudulent documents should be prepared to face the full force of the law when they are found," Muturi added.

Public Service CS nominee Justin Muturi appears before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments on Sunday, August 4, 2024. (Photo: Parliament)

In February 2024, the Public Service Commission (PSC) raised a red flag over the rampant use of fake academic papers to secure employment and promotion in the public service.

The commission's chairperson ambassador, Anthony Muchiri, revealed that there were over 2,000 cases of forged academic papers that were flagged by the commission during their verification exercise that kicked off in 2022.

PSC expressed concern over the high number of forged academic certificates in the Ministry of Interior as well as the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

According to the commission, most employees at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) enlisted in the last 10 years used forged academic documents to secure employment.

The commission submitted the damming report to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate the cases drawn from the 53,599 cases referred to the Kenya National Examination Council for clearance.

Since October 2022, EACC has been investigating 172 cases of alleged forgery of academic certificates.