National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei has suggested that the government give amnesty to fake academic certificate holders serving in public offices under the condition that they resign.
This comes even as the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) continue to weed out public officers with fake academic credentials.
Shollei, during an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday morning, said the fight against fake academic certificates will be best dealt with if the government allows the officials without authentic credentials to resign without fear of people coming after them.
“Let us have an amnesty where anyone with a fake degree or certificate is given an opportunity to resign and no one will come after them,” Boss said.
The deputy speaker said that anyone who does not step down under the amnesty should then face the law.
“If you remain in office and are found to have a fake degree, then you are charged and recovery proceedings can be done to them. That way, we will clean the system neatly.”
Fake Certificates in gov’t:
Gladys Boss – Deputy Speaker, N.A.: Anyone found with a fake certificate should be summarily dismissed and criminally charged #DayBreak @SamGituku pic.twitter.com/Xg31nuDse8
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) April 23, 2024
Kathiani Constituency Member of Parliament Robert Mbui, present at the interview, asked the Executive arm of government to also honor the qualifications as they are asking the public.
“We have seen cabinet secretaries appointed, and there was this joke in parliament of a fella who only had his birth certificate. If the executive itself does not respect qualifications, what makes Kenyans and youth looking for jobs respect qualifications?” Mbui said
“Even the current cabinet, there’re members in that do not have a university degree. If you are going to put people who are going to run the country, let them be qualified.”
He echoed Shollei’s sentiments that the government let individuals found culpable resign adding that the President’s remark of them returning all the money they have acquired throughout the time humanly impossible.
“If we say we are going to recover all the money, someone who has worked for 20,30,40 years, how will it be heavenly possible for that person to return that money. It’s impossible.
The PSC in February said it conducted an authentication exercise on academic credentials and found that 2,000 public officers secured jobs, promotions and re-designations using fake academic papers.