The Precautionary Principle in Business: Due Diligence and Background Checks in Kenya

Over the years, Peleza has partnered with companies to adopt the precautionary principle, “better safe than sorry,” approach by performing rigorous due diligence on new hires and existing employees. In practice, this means conducting comprehensive background checks as a standard pre-hire step or a career advancement checklist. Taking these precautions helps HR professionals and business owners avoid surprises, from fake credentials to hidden criminal records. In a conversational yet professional tone, we explore why due diligence is needed, what to verify before hiring, and how to speed up the screening process without sacrificing accuracy.

To conduct background checks in Kenya and Africa, contact Peleza for informed hiring decisions.

The Precautionary Principle and Due Diligence in Business

Due diligence is considered a precautionary strategy not mandated by law, except in some regulated industries, but crucial for protecting a company’s interests. We say it’s cheaper and wiser to verify now rather than pay for mistakes later. This principle echoes “caveat emptor”; let ”the buyer (or employer) beware and places the onus on companies to be prudent.

Caveat emptor- The principle that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made.

By treating every hire as a potential risk-reward decision, companies can create a culture of accountability and trust. Due diligence and background screening are the precautionary principle in action, preventing negligence and costly surprises down the road.

Why Due Diligence and Background Checks in Kenya Matter

Both the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have sounded the alarm on document fraud and misrepresentation. In one recent audit, KNQA flagged over 10,000 fake certificates out of just 47,000 reviewed in government agencies; roughly 1 in 4 documents were forged (KNQA). These figures are alarming and illustrate why due diligence is a necessity.

Beyond academic fraud, employers must beware of undisclosed criminal histories or false work claims. Hiring someone with a shady background can lead to theft, compliance violations, or reputational damage. Imagine the nightmare of discovering a new finance hire has a fraud conviction or that a supposed “MBA graduate” never earned that degree.

Kenyan agencies have begun cracking down: for example, the Postal Corporation recently fired 29 staff who falsified documents, and courts have even ordered fake-degree holders to refund years of salary (Business Daily). There have been politicians caught with questionable diplomas and even a notorious case of a fake lawyer in Kenya who won 26 court cases before being exposed as unqualified.

These stories continue to show that employee screening in Kenya protects your organization from fraud, legal liability, and incompetence.

For Kenyan HR teams, the takeaway is that background checks in Kenya are absolutely essential to enforce honesty in the hiring process. Critically, it must be done in compliance with Kenyan law, especially the Data Protection Act (2019), which requires candidate consent and privacy protection during background screening. When done right, though, thorough vetting yields a trustworthy workforce and greater peace of mind.

Key Areas to Verify Before Hiring

What exactly should you check as part of a pre-employment background screening? A comprehensive employee screening in Kenya will cover multiple sides of a candidate’s profile. Here are the key areas to verify before you hire:

• Identity and Personal Details: Start with the basics; confirm the person is who they claim to be. Verify their national ID or passport, date of birth, and even address verification. Identity checks are the foundation of all other checks, since you need to be sure the records you pull (criminal, education, etc.) belong to the candidate. Now you can conduct real-time identity verification with the Peleza Verification dashboard.

• Employment History: This confirms the candidate’s job titles, dates of employment, and responsibilities. Unfortunately, CV embellishment is common and candidates might stretch their tenure or invent roles to cover gaps. Honest employment verification can reveal if the candidate truly has the experience they claim or if there were any red flags like terminations for cause. This step helps you hire based on real demonstrated experience, not exaggerated resumes.

• Education and Certificates: Certificate verification Kenya is absolutely crucial given the high rate of fake degrees. We verify academic qualifications with the issuing institutions: university, college, or any other. This goes for both Kenyan and international degrees. Don’t just rely on a paper certificate handed to you. As mentioned, thousands of fake certificates circulate in Kenya, and even foreign “diploma mills” sell degrees that look authentic (The Star). Confirm the school is accredited and the candidate actually graduated. Also verify any professional certifications or training credentials. The goal is to ensure the person truly has the knowledge base their education claims imply.

• Criminal Records: Conduct a criminal background check to see if the candidate has any record of offenses. In Kenya, the gold standard is obtaining a Certificate of Good Conduct from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). With the candidate’s fingerprints and consent, the DCI checks national criminal databases and issues this police clearance document. A clean certificate indicates no criminal record found, whereas any past convictions (or ongoing cases) will be noted. This is especially important for roles involving financial responsibilities, security, or vulnerable populations. If the candidate has lived or worked abroad, consider international criminal checks as well. Criminal checks protect your organization from hiring individuals who might pose a safety or fraud risk.

• Social Media and Adverse Media: In the digital age, a person’s online footprint can be very telling. More Kenyan employers are now reviewing candidates’ social media profiles and news mentions (adverse media) as part of due diligence. A quick scan of public Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram activity can surface concerning behavior; for example, hate speech, toxic behavior, or indications of drug use. Likewise, an adverse media search might reveal if the person has been involved in scandals or negative news stories. These checks help protect your company’s reputation. If a prospective hire has a history of online harassment or was named in a fraud news article, you want to know before it damages your brand by association. Always handle these checks carefully and fairly (focus on publicly available info and job-relevant flags). Social media screening, when done right, is a proactive measure to guard your company culture and public image.

• Licenses and Professional Memberships: For certain positions, verifying professional licenses or memberships is critical. If you’re hiring an accountant, for instance, confirm they are in good standing with ICPAK (Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya). If it’s a lawyer, verify they’re admitted to the bar and licensed by the Law Society of Kenya. Don’t take claims at face value; check with the regulatory body.

Additional checks such as credit reports, reference checks, driving license verifications, global watchlist screenings, and more are also available. These are often considered on a role-by-role basis, depending on the sensitivity, seniority, or risk level associated with the position.

By diligently checking all the above areas, you cover the full 360° view of a candidate’s background. This holistic vetting approach is what Peleza specializes in. Each check feeds into an overall risk assessment. If everything checks out, you can hire with confidence. If discrepancies or red flags arise, you’re equipped to address them (perhaps asking the candidate for an explanation or deciding to pass on the hire). It’s far better to discover issues before making an offer than to deal with the fallout later.

Conclusion & Next Steps

In business, operating on the “trust, but verify” principle can save you from tremendous risk and nowhere is this more evident than in hiring. By embracing the precautionary principle through rigorous due diligence, companies can protect themselves from fraudsters with fake degrees, employees with hidden criminal pasts, and other costly hiring mistakes. We’ve seen why background checks in Kenya are so crucial, given local realities.

Peleza’s background check solutions enable a fast, accurate, and comprehensive process that keeps your hiring on schedule and your standards high. With digital verification, extensive coverage across Africa, and clear reports, Peleza helps you hire with confidence. This lets you focus on finding the right talent while the due diligence is handled efficiently in the background. Remember, a bad hire costs far more than a background check ever will. Don’t leave it to chance or gut feeling. Equip your HR toolkit with the best background check screening partner in Africa.

Contact Peleza today to learn more or to schedule a demo of our background screening services.

Protect your business from employee risk—start running thorough background checks in Kenya with Peleza’s help.