The Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) has put fake degree holders on notice vowing to weed out the culprits
Speaking during the 10th TVET conference in Eldoret, KNQA Director general Dr. Juma Mukhwana reiterated the Authority is working round the clock to restore sanity to the education sector in validating the academic certificates.
“It’s unfortunate for some people to get employed, knowing well they are not qualified. Our main Target is Civil servants and those vindicated will pay three times what they have earned and that amounts to stealing from government,” he reiterated.
QNQA is a government body tasked with harmonising education, training, assessment, and quality assurance of all qualifications awarded in the Country.
Dr Juma said currently 30 per cent of all qualifications in Kenya are fake, fraudulent or falsified.
“This is because we have no central repository of all our qualifications where one can check and query easily,” he said.
Dr Mukhwana disclosed that one in every three Kenyans holds a fake academic document.
In keeping with the plan to weed out holders of fake academic certificates and prosecute them, the government body unveiled the anonymous reporting portal referred to as Report Cheti Mwitu.
“In the portal one can report fake, falsified, and fraudulent certificates in Kenya. The portal has the option of reporting anonymously and after you are done inputting, you can press submit,” he said.
The KNQA, he said, is currently developing an audit programme where they can audit all certificates of all employees and they encourage the employers and co-employers to report on holders of fake certificates.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will soon be a reality in Kenya the President has given KNQA 30 days to roll out RPL. Candidates will soon be assessed and certified for skills that they have acquired in the workplace without formal education.
“We have developed a policy and we are going to roll out a national assessment and Eldoret polytechnic will be one of the centres for training for those people who have skills such as plumbing, electrical but do not have certificates because it will help a lot of people” he said.
“This economy is managed by 80 per cent Jua kali informal sector, who are driving this economy even though they do not have papers, we are going to be promoting that as experts in that area can assess you, then certify you so that you can acquire tenders locally or internationally,’’ said Dr Mukhana.
This is going to be a game changer for managing fake and fraudulent qualifications in the Country.
“We are working with all stakeholders to eradicate this practice that is denying Kenyans with genuine academic documents, an opportunity to benefit from their hard work in school,” said Dr Mukhwana.
By Hassan Adan Ali and Judy Too
