More than 2,000 public officers have been flagged for using fake academic and professional certificates to obtain government jobs, promotions and re-designations, exposing a long-running problem that has cost taxpayers millions of shillings.
The scale of the problem is now prompting the government to tighten the systems used to verify academic qualifications, with agencies responsible for public service, education and examinations moving to link their authentication processes.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) says it has taken 90 cases involving forged academic certificates to court. Forty-three of those cases have ended in convictions, while 39 are still pending in courts across the country.
Seven accused persons were acquitted, while one case was withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The financial cost has also emerged as a major concern. During the 2025/2026 financial year, EACC recovered Sh18.5 million that had been fraudulently paid to public officials through salaries linked to fake academic certificates and cases of double employment.
The latest government effort to tackle the problem came last Thursday when Head of Public Service Felix Koskei chaired a consultative meeting at State House involving the Public Service Commission (PSC), Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) and the Ministry of Education.
The meeting brought together senior officials to discuss the integration of academic qualification authentication systems ahead of the examination period and the 2027 General Election.
According to a source who attended the meeting, Koskei criticised institutions for failing to take decisive action despite repeated concerns raised by President William Ruto.
In a statement after the meeting, Koskei said: "The discussions underscored the importance of having robust and coordinated mechanisms for verifying academic qualifications. This will strengthen public confidence in recruitment processes. It will also ensure that individuals serving in positions of responsibility possess genuine and duly authenticated credentials."
PSC chairperson Francis Meja called for the integration and streamlining of systems used to authenticate academic credentials.
He said the move would protect the integrity of recruitment while promoting professionalism, competence and merit.
The meeting was attended by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, PSC Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Paul Famba, Knec Chairperson Julius O. Nyabundi and Chief Executive Officer David Njeng'ere.
Higher Education and Research Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala, Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa and Public Service and Human Capital Development Principal Secretary Jane Imbunya were also present.
While the government works on strengthening verification, courts continue to deal with cases in which fake certificates were used to gain access to public institutions and benefits.
Former Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) official David Mogire Nyabuti is among the latest examples.
Nyabuti was found to have used a forged Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate and result slip to gain admission to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company Training School, now known as the Institute of Energy Studies and Research.
He later secured employment at KenGen, where he earned salaries and benefits totalling Sh14,946,118.82 between August 2003 and September 2018.
Nyabuti was charged at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on June 13, 2025, with five counts of fraudulent acquisition of public property, two counts of forgery and two counts of uttering false documents.
The court convicted him of fraudulently acquiring Sh14,946,118 in salaries and ordered him to refund the money or serve five years in prison.
He was also fined Sh900,000, with a two-year prison term in default on the same count.
On each of the two counts of uttering false documents, the court imposed a Sh200,000 fine, with a two-year prison term in default.
The court directed that all the prison sentences run concurrently.
Another recent case involved former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) assistant elections officer George Kipyatich Kibor.
A Nairobi court fined Kibor Sh80,000 after finding him guilty of using a forged academic certificate to seek a promotion.
Evidence presented in court showed that he submitted a fake Bachelor of Business Management (Finance and Banking) degree certificate purportedly issued by Moi University in support of his promotion application.
Other cases have involved officials using forged qualifications to move into senior positions after already entering public service.
Martin Maigua Maina, for instance, forged a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science to obtain a promotion at IEBC.
Jecinter Hezron Adoyo was accused of forging academic documents from the University of Nairobi to obtain employment at the Commission on Revenue Allocation as a senior analyst and personal assistant to the chairperson.
Teresia Kangai was accused of forging academic documents to obtain employment at the Tharaka-Nithi County government.
At Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Ltd, Stacy Mwikali used a forged Bachelor of Information Technology degree certificate from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology to secure a promotion.
Another case involving former Nairobi City County employee Gabriel Bukachi Chapia showed how scrutiny arising from a political ambition can expose fraudulent qualifications.
Chapia was sentenced last year to two-and-a-half years in prison after admitting to forging academic certificates and using them to secure government jobs.
The court gave him the option of paying a Sh150,000 fine instead of serving the prison term.
His forged qualifications came to light after he sought an elective position, leading to scrutiny of his academic records.
The court further ordered him to refund Sh3.9 million earned while working at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and the Kenya Investment Authority.
He was to serve an additional year in prison if he failed to repay the money.
Chapia was convicted in September last year by a Milimani anti-corruption court after entering into a plea bargain agreement with the prosecution.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of forgery of academic certificates and two counts of fraudulent acquisition of public property.
The court found that he had forged a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) degree which he claimed to have obtained from Maseno University.
He had also forged a Master's degree in Information Technology purportedly issued by Daystar University on November 24, 2009.
EACC says the cases have exposed the impact of fraudulent qualifications on both recruitment and public finances, as individuals with fake credentials obtain salaries and benefits intended for legitimately qualified employees.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said the government would continue pursuing individuals who secured employment using fraudulent credentials.
"Government action is prompt, and we will not spare anyone dishonest about their academic qualifications. Such dishonesty undermines productivity and denies qualified Kenyans opportunities to serve. You may have occupied a position for years, but once you are found to have used fraudulent credentials, you will face the consequences," Mr Ruku said during a radio interview.
The government’s concern is also reflected in a February 2024 PSC audit report, which found that more than 2,000 public officers had used fake academic and professional certificates to secure government jobs, promotions and re-designations.
The latest push to connect qualification verification systems is therefore aimed at closing gaps that have allowed forged credentials to go undetected and individuals using them to remain in public service for years.