Kenyan has announced a crackdown on fake documents used by students to secure opportunities to study in Kenya or abroad.
The Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) on Monday said that the fresh crackdown is part of an international network of institutions’ drive to ensure that only those with legit documents are allowed to have this privilege.
KNQA Director-General Dr Juma Mukhwana said that change in technology is to blame for increased forgeries of documents.
He opined that Kenya receives more than 30,000 applications from foreign students seeking to study in Kenya annually. Most of them are from Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and DRC Congo.
“We are now keenly monitoring the number of students coming into the country to study and Kenyans leaving the country to study in other countries. Popular foreign qualifications for Kenyans include those from Britain, Australia, USA, Canada, and South Africa,” Dr Mukhwana asserted.
With the agency’s intended crackdown, there will be thorough scrutiny of the authenticity of documents and qualifications and check whether they conform to the standards set by the government.
KNQA will upscale its operations through collaboration with the African Qualifications Verification Network (AQVN).
This means that no one with foreign qualifications will get a job before KNQA scrutinizes their documents/qualifications through AQVN.
According to the Kenyan law, any prospective employee with foreign qualifications must be assessed by KNQA and certified to that effect.
KNQA which is a government agency under the Kenya National Qualifications Framework Act no 22 of 2014 has the sole mandate to verify foreign qualifications and certify their holders on merit.
“So our work has brought harmony and order in this sector. Employers now refer all employees with foreign qualifications to the KNQA for equation before employing them. Universities and higher educational institutions similarly do the same before admitting students,” he cited.
