Recent revelations from the Public Service Commission (PSC) expose a pervasive trend where 202 out of 650 civil servants used forged academic documents to secure jobs.
This has forced the Kenya Railways (KR), Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) to take stringent actions against the implicated employees.
In the year leading up to June 2023, an additional 58 individuals caught with fake academic papers chose to resign, according to the PSC.
Startlingly, the report exposes a prevalent trend where civil servants managed to secure jobs and promotions using falsified academic and professional credentials.
Kenya Railways dismissed 55 staff, including two individuals claiming false degrees, while KMTC parted ways with 35 employees.
Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) removed 16 staff from their positions, and the Geothermal Development Company took action against 15 employees for presenting forged academic papers.
The National Construction Authority and Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service each dismissed three staff members.
Presenting the findings to Parliament, Simon Rotich, the PSC Chief Executive, says that 58 officers have resigned, six took early retirement, and 181 dismissed.
Furthermore, ongoing disciplinary action has affected 252 individuals, and one officer reported deceased. Four individuals faced no action, and information was lacking regarding 242 certificates identified as forged.
Most forged certificates were found in State corporations and Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (76.3 percent), followed by ministries and State departments (17.9 percent), according to Rotich.
The PSC had mandated organizations to authenticate academic and professional certificates and directed them to terminate the service of any officer found using forged certificates for appointment or promotion.
Of 346 State institutions, 63 percent authenticated the academic certificates of their officers. Of the 142,188 officers whose academic certificates were authenticated, the PSC has cleared 47.7 percent as valid, established 0.4 percent as forged, and the validity of 26.2 percent of authenticated certificates, is unclear.
Certificates for 43.9 percent of officers had yet to be authenticated.
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