As of late 2025, Kenya has moved to tighten the noose around fraudulent academic credentials and institutions operating without proper accreditation. At a key workshop in Nairobi, ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo announced a government‐backed plan to replace paper degrees with digital credentials that can be verified online. The system—being developed together with the Ministry of Education and the Tony Blair Institute—will rely on “verifiable credentials” and digital wallets to allow instant, tamper‐proof authentication of academic qualifications.
Parallel to the digital credentials initiative, the government has intensified institutional regulation. The Commission for University Education (CUE) recently blacklisted 15 universities and colleges for operating degree and postgraduate programs without the necessary grant of authority or accreditation. In a notice issued in March 2025, CUE warned the public that qualifications from these institutions would not be recognized.
On the public service front, a sweeping audit is underway. Nairobi City County has ordered all 17,000 county employees to submit their academic and professional certificates to be vetted, in compliance with directives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Public Service Commission (PSC). More broadly, the PSC, EACC and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have formed a multi-agency task force to root out public officers who secured positions via fake credentials.
During the 2025 Ethics and Integrity Conference, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei characterized the forgery of certificates as a national emergency that threatens both institutional credibility and national development. As part of the response, a circular has been issued to all public entities mandating strict adherence to recruitment rules, with accountability placed on heads of institutions who recruit unqualified people.
In summary, the plan consists of these components:
Digital credentials rollout: transition from paper certificates to cryptographically verifiable digital certificates, possibly using digital wallets.
Institutional accreditation enforcement: identifying and blacklisting colleges/universities that are operating without authority, and ensuring their programmes are not accepted.
Verification of public service credentials: mass audits of public service staff’s qualifications; prosecution or sanctions for those found using forged papers.
Multi-agency cooperation: bringing together PSC, EACC, DCI, CUE, KNQA (Kenya National Qualifications Authority) and KNEC to coordinate efforts.
If implemented fully, this strategy could help restore trust in Kenya’s academic credentials, improve employer confidence, and reduce losses caused by fraud. However, challenges remain, such as ensuring technology access (for digital credentials), properly resourcing regulatory bodies, and dealing with deeply entrenched syndicates.
Kenya Unveils new Digital Strategy to Curb fake Degrees, Unaccredited colleges
As of late 2025, Kenya has moved to tighten the noose around fraudulent academic credentials and institutions operating without proper accreditation. At a key workshop in Nairobi, ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo announced a government‐backed plan to replace paper degrees with digital credentials that can be verified online. The system—being developed together with the Ministry of Education and the Tony Blair Institute—will rely on “verifiable credentials” and digital wallets to allow instant, tamper‐proof authentication of academic qualifications.
Parallel to the digital credentials initiative, the government has intensified institutional regulation. The Commission for University Education (CUE) recently blacklisted 15 universities and colleges for operating degree and postgraduate programs without the necessary grant of authority or accreditation. In a notice issued in March 2025, CUE warned the public that qualifications from these institutions would not be recognized.
On the public service front, a sweeping audit is underway. Nairobi City County has ordered all 17,000 county employees to submit their academic and professional certificates to be vetted, in compliance with directives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Public Service Commission (PSC). More broadly, the PSC, EACC and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have formed a multi-agency task force to root out public officers who secured positions via fake credentials.
During the 2025 Ethics and Integrity Conference, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei characterized the forgery of certificates as a national emergency that threatens both institutional credibility and national development. As part of the response, a circular has been issued to all public entities mandating strict adherence to recruitment rules, with accountability placed on heads of institutions who recruit unqualified people.
In summary, the plan consists of these components:
Digital credentials rollout: transition from paper certificates to cryptographically verifiable digital certificates, possibly using digital wallets.
Institutional accreditation enforcement: identifying and blacklisting colleges/universities that are operating without authority, and ensuring their programmes are not accepted.
Verification of public service credentials: mass audits of public service staff’s qualifications; prosecution or sanctions for those found using forged papers.
Multi-agency cooperation: bringing together PSC, EACC, DCI, CUE, KNQA (Kenya National Qualifications Authority) and KNEC to coordinate efforts.
If implemented fully, this strategy could help restore trust in Kenya’s academic credentials, improve employer confidence, and reduce losses caused by fraud. However, challenges remain, such as ensuring technology access (for digital credentials), properly resourcing regulatory bodies, and dealing with deeply entrenched syndicates.
