Several Certificates of Achievement bearing specific serial numbers have been voided by the Kenya School of Government (KSG) amid an ongoing crackdown on fake academic documents.
In a public notice dated November 11, KSG Director General Nura Mohamed announced the immediate cancellation of all certificates bearing serial numbers ranging from MA 0251 to MA 1000.
"This is to notify the public that the Kenya School of Government has cancelled Certificates of Achievement Serial No. MA 0251 to MA 1000," the notice stated. Mohamed confirmed that the "certificates were never issued or utilized by the School" for any KSG qualification award.
According to Mohamed, the certificates cannot be presented or recognised as evidence of any qualification issued by the prestigious school.
Further, KSG advised employers to disregard any attempts by unscrupulous individuals to use or present the specified certificates to attempt to gain employment.
Founded under the Kenya School of Government Act No. 9 of 2012, KSG has evolved from earlier government training centres to become the premier hub for training public servants in leadership, service delivery and management.
KSG has campuses spread across the country and offers a variety of programmes designed to equip civil servants with the talents needed to implement government policies effectively and promote good governance.
One of its core mandates includes fostering a culture of transparency, accountability and professionalism within the public sector.
Notably, KSG works closely with ministries, agencies and international partners to ensure its courses are practical and relevant to the ever-changing Kenyan governance landscape and challenges.
The notice incidentally came amid a heightened effort nationwide to combat the use of fake academic credentials, especially within the public service.
Months earlier, the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) launched a digital platform specifically meant to verify the authenticity of academic certificates, with Education PS Julius Bitok emphasising that the platform was a necessary tool in the government's pursuit to weed out fake academic papers.
The system was piloted in collaboration with the Public Service Commission (PSC), serving as a fast, secure and reliable way to authenticate KNEC-issued papers.
According to PSC's annual report for the 2023/2024 financial year, 449 government employees lost their jobs after being found with fake certificates.
