The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have launched a probe into the proliferation of counterfeit academic and professional certificates within the public service.

During the submission of the Authentication of Certificates report to the Public Service Commission (PSC) on Tuesday, Antony Muchiri, the PSC Chairperson, revealed that more than 2,000 government employees have been found to possess forged academic credentials.

According to Muchiri, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Interior, and the Kenyatta National Hospital have been identified as the government entities with the highest number of fraudulent certificate cases.

The widespread occurrence of public officials using falsified qualifications to secure government positions and promotions has tarnished the reputation of the country’s civil service, Muchiri lamented.

The head of the Public Service recruitment agency emphasized that as investigations progress, individuals implicated in the scandal must come to terms with the consequences of their actions, while the public service sector embarks on a path of introspection and reform.

Twalib Mbarak, the Chief Executive Officer of the EACC, affirmed that the agency will pursue the recovery of all salaries and benefits obtained on the basis of fraudulent academic qualifications.

“The authentication exercise, undertaken by PSC, revealed numerous cases of public officials who forged academic and professional certificates to secure Government jobs and promotions,” the EACC boss said.

Recent investigations revealed that some public officials forge certificates or purchase fake degrees to seek employment or promotion at work in total disregard of the law.