Address the issue of fake degrees urgently

Cases of fake degrees are becoming rampant in Kenya, especially among those holding or seeking public office.

Universities regulator Commission for University Education (CUE) has raised the alarm over the increased use of fake degrees to secure employment in an economy with a shortage of openings in the job market.

ALSO READ: A third of academic papers fake, warns State agency

Another State agency — the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA)—said about 30 per cent of all academic certificates are either fake, falsified or somehow tempered with, underlining that the vice is deep-rooted.

This is unacceptable given the broad ramifications of the fake degrees.

It has the effect of dimming chances for Kenyans seeking jobs abroad or in global institutions in the wake of credibility concerns about certificates from local institutions.

It also suggests that many more people are holding positions for which they have no relevant skills or aptitude for them.

ALSO READ: Magoha moves to shield qualifications agency from Parliament

Having the wrong people in key positions can exact a heavy price on an institution and the country at large.

The issue of fake academic qualifications must therefore be accorded the attention it deserves given its far-reaching consequences