Universities to Share All Certificates with the Public
Universities and other institutions of higher education may soon begin sharing academic papers with the general public if a law proposed by Abdul Haro of Mandera South is passed.
The Universities Amendment (No. 2) of 2023 seeks to establish digital certificate databases in all educational institutions.
With this measure, Haro envisions a future in which the public can digitally verify the authenticity of documents from each institution.
A part of the proposed legislation reads, “Shall provide a digital database that permits access to and verification of the authenticity of academic papers acquired from such a university, subject to the Data Protection Act.”
In addition, the legislator intends to alleviate the difficult journeys that many Kenyans undertake to personally verify their academic credentials at higher education institutions.
“The online digital certificates will come in handy during frequent university strikes, elections, and epidemics,” the member of parliament explained.
Moreover, he clarified that the proposed measure will fully respect the Constitutionally protected fundamental freedoms, ensuring that no infringement occurs.
Abdul Haro emphasized further that the implementation of this measure is unlikely to result in any additional public funding allocations.
The proposed legislation is anticipated to streamline the process by which employers verify the educational credentials of prospective employees, weeding out job applicants who take shortcuts to secure employment.
In the past, the Ethics Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has highlighted instances of job applicants forging academic credentials, prompting a demand for increased employer vigilance.
“Any university or other learning institution that may be engaged in collusion to issue academic certificates to unqualified individuals, including those who have not enrolled in or completed studies, should cease doing so and strictly adhere to prescribed standards,” the commission disclosed in a statement.
EACC also revealed a variety of techniques used by individuals in Kenya to forge documents. These strategies involve tampering with grades and honors in order to enhance their allure in the extremely competitive job market.
Universities to Share All Certificates with the Public