The Public Service Commission (PSC) has made a troubling revelation regarding the employment of certain public servants in critical government agencies, indicating that thousands secured their positions using fraudulent certificates.
According to a statement issued by the PSC on Tuesday, a significant number of individuals holding positions in key institutions such as the Ministry of Interior, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), and the Geothermal Development Corporation, were found to have acquired their positions through the use of fake credentials.
Addressing the media, PSC Chairman Ambassador Anthony Muchiri disclosed that their investigation, launched in October 2022, uncovered a total of 2,067 cases of forgery. The probe targeted 331 institutions, including 52 Ministries, State Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), 239 State corporations and Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies, and 40 public universities.
Despite requests for cooperation, only 195 institutions complied with the investigation’s requirements, leading to the discovery of 1,280 forged cases out of 58,599 certificates submitted to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) for verification.
“This figure is not final, as the authentication process is ongoing, and we anticipate uncovering more instances of forgery,” Muchiri stated.
Furthermore, the investigation revealed that 787 officers within MDAs, including universities and tertiary institutions, had obtained appointments and promotions in the public service using fraudulent documents.
Various types of forgery were identified, including alterations of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) mean grades, the presentation of forged KCSE certificates by individuals who did not sit for the exams, and the submission of fake education certificates. Some individuals were found to have never taken the alleged examinations or been registered as candidates.
Other forms of forgery included the use of certificate numbers that did not match the alleged owner and the falsification of names on certificates. Additionally, Bachelor’s Degree certificates indicating Second Division (Lower) were altered to reflect a higher grade of Second Division (Upper).
In response to these findings, the PSC has recommended that all cases be referred to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for prosecution. They also called for the recovery of any ill-gotten gains and assets obtained through fraudulent means and proposed the denial of benefits, including pensions, allowances, or leave, to those implicated.
The PSC has forwarded the report to both the DCI and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for further action.
