New Academic verification in Kenya- Government’s Crackdown on Fake Academic Certificates

The Kenyan government has taken another firm step toward cleaning up the public service. The Public Service Commission (PSC), in partnership with the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), is developing a digital certificate authentication system to simplify how employers verify academic credentials.

During a recent meeting between PSC and KNEC officials, it was revealed that the new system will be powered by blockchain technology, offering a secure, tamper-proof way to confirm the legitimacy of certificates. Once operational, this platform will save time, improve transparency, and help eliminate the persistent challenge of fake academic papers in public service recruitment.

A Deep-Rooted Problem

The Public Service Commission’s ongoing verification exercise has already exposed alarming numbers. Out of 53,599 cases referred to KNEC for authentication, 1,280 were confirmed as forged. Another 787 officers were found to have used fake certificates to gain employment or promotions in public institutions.

The Push for Digital Verification

Recognizing the scale of the problem, the government has ordered a fresh nationwide audit of academic and professional certificates for all civil servants, not just those hired in the last decade. Every ministry, state department, and public institution must now verify their employees’ credentials through the KNEC online portal.

This verification process is more than an administrative cleanup; it’s a cultural shift. It sends a clear message, integrity in education is inseparable from integrity in public service.

Peleza’s Role in Strengthening Trust

At Peleza, we share this vision of integrity and accountability. As a compliance and verification partner across Africa, we’re also building an integrated academic verification service designed to connect public and private institutions across the continent.

This system aims to simplify cross-border academic checks, allowing employers and regulators to verify qualifications from accredited institutions in real time, whether the credential originates from Nairobi, Lagos, or Accra.

By working with verified data sources and institutional partners, our goal is to ensure that hiring decisions, promotions, and admissions are based on truth, not assumption.

Why This Matters

Fake academic credentials don’t just undermine recruitment; they corrode public trust, compromise service delivery, and reward deceit over merit. As the PSC Chairperson rightly noted, falsified qualifications have far-reaching effects; from eroding the credibility of Kenya’s education system to weakening the country’s global competitiveness.

Employers now have a growing ecosystem of support, from government-driven verification systems to private compliance platforms like Peleza, ensuring that integrity becomes a standard, not an exception.

Check out Peleza Education Certificate Verifications and more solutions.