Verifying academic certificates is set to become significantly easier, as the government moves to roll out a unified database allowing employers, learning institutions and other interested parties to confirm a person’s qualifications instantly, in a move aimed squarely at curbing the use of forged academic papers.
The National Qualifications Database (NQD) will consolidate academic records spanning basic education, technical and vocational training and university qualifications into a single system, doing away with the current, often laborious process of tracing a person’s credentials separately across multiple institutions and government agencies.
Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr Beatrice Inyangala described the intended effect as a genuine one-stop shop. “It will be a one-stop shop. With the click of a button, the employer can be satisfied that the potential worker has appropriate qualifications, from basic all the way to the university or TVET,” she said, speaking at a meeting with university stakeholders in Nairobi.
The Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) has onboarded 22 per cent of universities onto the system to date, with the government now pushing for the remaining institutions to be connected by the end of the year.
Once complete, the database is expected to spare employers the current hassle of separately contacting bodies such as the Kenya National Examinations Council, the Commission for University Education (CUE) and KNQA itself simply to confirm that a candidate’s qualifications are genuine.
The system is being implemented under the Kenya National Qualifications Framework, which sets out a 10-level reference scale for classifying and comparing every qualification across both academic and industry sub-frameworks. Notably, the framework’s legal footing is also being strengthened.
The Kenya National Qualifications Framework (Amendment) Bill, 2026, currently before Parliament, seeks to formally enshrine the database in law and require institutions to notify KNQA of qualifications awarded within a set timeframe, a change officials say would make participation mandatory rather than voluntary once enacted.
The push comes against a backdrop of persistent concern over forged academic credentials making their way into Kenyan workplaces. A Public Service Commission (PSC) report covering 2023/24 found that 1,019 civil servants held forged credentials, with 744 subsequently facing disciplinary action.
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In October last year, the commission went further, directing all government ministries, departments, agencies and public institutions to audit the academic and professional certificates held by their staff. The problem remains live, as the latest case involves former Machakos County Chief Joseph Mutwiwa Munyao, who has been charged with using forged academic certificates to secure a senior position within the devolved government.
Under the framework, every recognised university must register as a qualifications-awarding institution, while each accredited academic programme must be separately registered as a national qualification, with graduate records themselves captured within the national database. KNQA Chief Executive Officer Alice Kande said the initiative is also expected to strengthen quality assurance more broadly and help curb the circulation of fraudulent academic certificates.
CUE has already taken direct action against non-compliant institutions and programmes, according to the commission’s Chief Executive, Prof Mike Kuria. “We have closed down institutions and even cancelled graduation ceremonies that were not appropriate. On our website, we have flagged 15 institutions that were not appropriately accredited,” he said.
In a notice published on MyGov on March 11, 2025, CUE named those 15 institutions as offering degree and postgraduate programmes without proper accreditation, warning prospective students against enrolling in them.
The list included Eldoret Bible College in Uasin Gishu, Al-Munawwarah College in Mombasa, Grace Life Bible College in Vihiga, Africa Theological Seminary in Trans Nzoia, Regions Beyond Ministry Bible College in Kiambu, Baraton College in Nandi, The Africa Talent University in Kisumu, Breakthrough Bible College in Nairobi, Theophilus Theological College in Kiambu, Northwestern Christian University and Logos University in Kakamega, Harvest Land University in Kisumu, Word of Faith Bible College in Vihiga, Kenya Anglican University-Kanyuambora in Embu, and The East African University Bradgate International University in Nyeri.
The database is also expected to cut the cost and time typically involved in verifying qualifications. Public Universities Vice-Chancellors’ Committee Chairman Prof Daniel Mugendi said public institutions of higher learning are already contributing to the wider national qualifications agenda through quality assurance measures, reliable record-keeping and aligning their programmes with national requirements.
He said the database would finally deliver the consolidated system stakeholders had been calling for over many years. “It will significantly reduce the cost of qualification certification and reassure the general public regarding the credibility of our awards,” Mugendi said.
CUE and KNQA are expected to operate in a complementary capacity to ensure the system succeeds, with CUE responsible for regulating and accrediting universities and their academic programmes, while KNQA handles the registration and formal recognition of qualifications awarded by those accredited institutions.
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