The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has revealed major methods used by Kenyans to commit academic fraud.
According to EACC Chairperson Bishop David Oginde, cases of cheating and fake qualifications are on the increase with a good number of Kenyans securing public jobs, without the requisite qualifications.
“The cases are quite a number. We are finding a lot of reports from across the country and in different categories of government offices. It has come to us as something that we really need to work on,” Oginde said on Tuesday, January 23.
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“Some countries are already beginning to blacklist our degrees and this would not be good for the young people of this country. If you are going to get a job out of the country and you present your papers and they are not trusted it will jeopardize our move to export labour.”
Here are the six categories of academic fraud as the most prevalent in Kenya;
Altering high school grades
EACC says several persons are altering their high school grades on their KCSE certificates to gain entry into the University.
Impersonation
Individuals have been impersonating people named on certificates (including dead persons) to either apply for admission to learning institutions or seek employment.
Forging degree/diploma certificates
According to EACC, some persons get admission to university programs but for some reason fail to complete their studies. Consequently, they forge degree/diploma certificates which they use to secure employment.
Changing grades
This category entails persons who enrol for university programs, complete their studies and graduate but alter their degree/diploma classification from “second class honours lower division” to “first class honours.”
Fraudulently issued certificates
This entails persons who have never set foot in any classroom but are fraudulently issued academic certificates by the universities. They get all certificates and transcripts, without the respective knowledge and skills.
Going for further education with fake certificates
Persons in this category enrol for higher courses such as masters or doctorate programs using forged diploma and degree certificates.
