KNEC LAUNCHES DIGITAL VERIFICATION SYSTEM FOR ACADEMIC CERTIFICATES

The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has launched a digital platform for real-time verification of academic certificates, marking a major step in the fight against forged credentials in public service and education.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok asserted that the initiative, currently being piloted in partnership with the Public Service Commission, enables instant authentication of academic documents and reduces the need for physical visits to KNEC offices. He was speaking during the unveiling of the new Education Assessment Resource Center at KNEC headquarters.
This move is part of a broader push by KNEC to ensure academic integrity in Kenya. In April, the council released new guidelines for evaluating foreign certificates, mandating submissions through its Query Management Information System (QMIS).
The upgraded system aims to enhance transparency and streamline recognition of school and post-school qualifications.
To qualify for evaluation, foreign certificates must originate from accredited institutions, and applicants must meet entry requirements equivalent to those in Kenya.
This comes on the back of an audit by the government in June 2025 which revealed that out of 168,667 public officers reviewed, 859 held fake academic certificates, 160 had forged professional qualifications, and more than 24,500 had unauthenticated documents.
“In regard to high standards of professional ethics, findings revealed critical gaps in both compliance and enforcement,” the audit report stated in part. Alarmingly, authenticity had not been verified for 84.9 percent of the officers.