•The landmark collaboration will see the electoral agency block aspirants with fraudulent academic documents, popularly known as River Road certificates, from participating in the next polls.
•The law gives the KNQA the mandate to certify foreign academic qualifications with academic fraudsters now facing a rough time ahead should they attempt to submit fake documents to IEBC next year.
Image: FILE
Politicians who have been submitting dubious academic papers allegedly conferred by suspect institutions for election have every reason to worry with IEBC tightening the noose.
The Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission has partnered with the Kenya National Qualifications Authority to ensure only politicians with genuine academic certificates get 2022 polls clearance.
The landmark collaboration will see the electoral agency block aspirants with fraudulent academic documents, popularly known as River Road certificates, from participating in the next polls.
IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati has already fired a warning to 2022 prospective aspirants with suspect academic documents saying the commission will strike hard to smoke them out.
“We hope that by working together we shall address the issue of fake academic qualifications by candidates seeking elective positions,” Chebukati said.
The commission has in the past failed to choke up politicians with fake academic documents because it lacked access to the national database of all genuine qualifications in the country enjoyed by KNQA.
The law gives the KNQA the mandate to certify foreign academic qualifications with academic fraudsters now facing a rough time ahead should they attempt to submit fake documents to IEBC next year.
KNQA chairman Kilemi Mwiria has expressed optimism that the news dispensation will usher in order in the education sector by ensuring all qualifications possessed by Kenyans are genuine.
“All those who will be seeking elective positions will have their academic certificates vetted. We have the required expertise to handle the vetting of the documents,” Mwiria said.
Some Kenyans without requisite university qualifications have been accused of flocking foreign universities with dubious credentials to acquire degrees.
Some politicians in the country have come under sharp focus over dubious academic qualifications with some of them battling court cases to clear their names.
The electoral commission is anticipating a groundswell of fake academic certificates in the 2022 general election with a law requiring aspirants seeking election for MP to have degrees set to take effect.
In 2017, MPs amended section 22 of the electoral act that prescribes minimum academic qualifications for the lawmakers and pushed it to 2022 to allow non-degree holders time to study.
In 2016, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission conducted an investigation probe on Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi over forged academic certificates submitted to the IEBC during the 2013 General Election.
The investigation revealed that Sudi's Diploma Certificate in Business Management and KCSE certificate was forged.
Mombasa governors Hassan Joho hit the headlines in 2017 following a probe into his academic certificates.
The second term governor was forced to fight it out on the court to clear his name after the state wanted to charge him for allegedly forging a KCSE certificate to get university admission.
The case which had been filed at the height of the governor’s criticism of the Jubilee government had questioned the authenticity of his form four results slip.
It was alleged that Joho’s purported examination centre, Serani Secondary School index number was 16032 was non-existent.
Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko, ex-Kiambu boss Ferdinand Waititu and Wajir governor Mohamed Mohamud are among political bigwigs who have also had the credibility of the university degrees challenged.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
Image: GERALD MUTETHIA