Mbarak said in an interview that the nation should act quickly to provide long-term solutions to the rise in instances of academic fraud.
He suggested that colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher learning take into account utilizing cutting-edge technology that would enable them to guarantee the integrity of academic certificates through, among other things, security Quick Response (QR) codes.
To protect degree certificates and transcripts that can be quickly validated with smartphones and other electronic devices, the QR code will be implemented.
Mbarak also suggested that the one-stop system for verifying qualifications be set up to provide compliance certificates that job seekers could use to show the legitimacy of their academic credentials to potential employers or agencies.
Such actions, according to him, will put a stop to the phony, fraudulent, and fabricated acquisition of university degrees as well as secondary and primary school diplomas.
According to Mbaraka, “proper automation of the system will offer a long-term solution to this scam, allowing you to instantly verify the validity of academic papers.”
Mbarak said that his organization has sued three politicians for obtaining phony academic credentials.
The head of EACC claimed that the lengthy legal proceedings had delayed the resolution of the cases.
He cited a recent incident in which 10 police recruits were detained at the National Police College Kiganjo to make the point that cases involving recruitment by various agencies in the public and private sectors are common.
After the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) verified the documents, it was discovered that the suspects had used falsified certificates to be hired.
Mbarak claimed that his organization has teamed up with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Commission of University Education (CUE), to look into the possession of fake degrees.
“We have CUE, which is responsible for document authentication, DCI, which looks into forgeries committed by private citizens, and EACC, which looks into allegations of integrity and leadership violations involving leaders who use forgeries, said Mbaraka.
The CEO defended the organizations for clearing officials with integrity problems, arguing that proper legal procedures must be followed before any official is disqualified from running for office.
The unfortunate part is that if the same people are elected, they will end up taking advantage of the same opportunity. “There are many issues that need to be resolved, including gaps in the current laws,” he said.
Kenyans, he continued, “are the last line of defense” in the selection process, and he urged them to reject politicians who engage in corruption and fraud.
According to the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) 10 to 15 per cent of all qualifications in Kenya are fake, fraudulent or falsified.
KNQA had proposed to develop the National Qualifications Information Management System (NAQMIS) to address the challenge worsened by lack of a proper automated system.