The menace of fake certificates is a global challenge. The National Student Clearing house, a US organization that offers a certificate verification service, reports that prevalence of falsified academic credentials is a serious, prevalent and growing problem.
In 2015 the New York Times reported on a billion-dollar industry consisting of 3,300 “diploma mills”. These were fake universities and colleges that sold certificates for all levels of certification, worldwide. We also have in the world many universities and colleges awarding certificates that they have no accreditation or mandate to do so.
In Kenya, the government, through the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA),launched a new system for reporting cases of fake certificates as the country-wide crackdown on the forgeries continues.
KNQA is a government body tasked with harmonizing education, training, assessment, and quality assurance of all qualifications awarded in the country.
The agency’s Director-General Dr. Juma Mukhwana disclosed that one in every three Kenyans holds a fake academic document.
In keeping with the plan to weed out holders of fake academic certificates and prosecute them, the government body unveiled the anonymous reporting portal referred to as Report Cheti Mwitu.
In the portal accessed via rev.knqa.go.ke/cheti-mwitu, one can report fake, falsified, and fraudulent certificates in Kenya.
How to Validate Authenticity of Educational Certificate (KNEC)
Validating or confirming the authenticity of education certificates in Kenya is done by making an Application for Statement of Examination Result to Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC).
Apply In-Person
Visit the Kenya National Education Council offices or KNEC Website to initiate the application.
At the KNEC offices you will be given Application for Statement of Examination Result form to complete. You can also download the Application for statement of examination results form from the KNEC Website.
You should fully complete the application form stating the reason for equation and give the postal address of the institution or organization which requested for the equation.
Attach the following documents with the application form before submission.
(a) The original certificates and birth certificate for equation of primary school certificates whose owners are minors (these will be returned to the owner after the verification excise).
(b) Photocopies Results slips are also acceptable for all examinations except for the CPE & KCPE examinations.
(c) Where a copy of certificate or results slip is missing, the applicant MUST obtain an introduction letter from school and a certified copy of a results printout for the particular year from their former schools/colleges and County Directors or Sub-County Directors for private candidates and schools that have since closed.
(d) For modular courses (Business, Technical and SNE) all copies of results slips for all the modular courses must be attached to the application form for confirmation of results.
The following are the charges charged for an Application for Statement of Examination Result by KNEC
Within Kenya ………Ksh 2,320
Outside Kenya ……Ksh 3,480
Statements are normally dispatched through registered mail at no extra cost. However, those wishing to use courier services will be changed according to the distance of the destination. Clients are accepted to meet the extra cost.
Those wishing to use fax will be charged an extra cost of
Fax within Kenta Ksh 928
Fax outside Kenya Ksh 1,392
Payments are to be made to the General Transactions account in any of the four bank accounts given below using the KNEC deposit slips available at the banks:
(i) Cooperative Bank of Kenya Ltd 01136030120307
(ii) National Bank of Kenya Ltd 01001-60314300
(iii) Kenya Commercial Bank 1116686937
(iv) Equity Bank 047-0294988491
After making the payment you should forward the deposit slip with the Application for Statement of Examination Result, KNEC.
You are advised not to pay for the service of equation before their documents are verified by the Kenya National Examinations Council.
Money deposited for the purpose of equating a certificate (deposit slips) are only valid if submitted to KNEC within twelve (12) months after banking.
If you are not applying from the KNEC you should send the application to the following address.
Chief Executive Officer,
Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC),
P. 0. Box 73598- 00200 City Square, Nairobi;
It takes 10 working days to process and dispatch the statements. Old examinations may take longer.
Statements are normally dispatched through registered mail at no extra cost. However, those wishing to use courier services will be changed according to the distance of the destination.
Clients are accepted to meet the extra cost, as stated above.
