How outdated systems have hampered efforts to curb proliferation of fake papers
By Emmanuel Rono, April 1, 2026The Public Service Commission (PSC) has blamed outdated technology for its inability to decisively curb the proliferation of fake academic certificates in the civil service.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunities at Bunge Towers on March 31, 2026, PSC Chairman Francis Meja admitted that the Commission’s verification systems are slow, costly, and prone to manipulation.
“The Commission is relying on old technology to verify and weed out fake papers. As a result, the process takes too long and is expensive,” Meja told the committee.
Development of an integrated digital system
He revealed that the PSC is now working with the Commission for University Education (CUE) and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to develop an integrated digital system capable of instantly authenticating academic documents.
“We are carrying out reforms with the two institutions that will enable us to detect a fake academic document at the press of a button,” he said.
The chairman, while responding to concerns raised by Ndhiwa legislator, Martin Owino, questioned the Commission’s failure to stem the rising use of forged certificates to secure jobs and promotions in the public sector.
The session also exposed internal capacity challenges at the PSC, with Chief Executive Officer Paul Famba disclosing a significant staffing shortfall that is hampering operations.
“The approved staff establishment is 518, but we currently have only 273 employees, leaving a gap of 245,” Famba said.
Lawmakers described the situation as ironic, noting that an agency mandated to recruit public servants is itself grappling with staff shortages.
Fill vacant positions
MP of Luanda Dick Maungu urged the Commission to lead by example by filling vacant positions.
“If PSC, whose core mandate is to hire public servants, is complaining about staff shortages, what about other State agencies?” Maungu said.
The committee further pushed back on the Commission’s proposal to decentralize services to the county level, terming the plan overly ambitious given current budgetary constraints.
Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron advised a phased approach.
“Your plan to move services to the county level is very ambitious. Due to a lack of resources, you should start by decentralising to regional levels first,” he said.
On youth employment, Famba said the PSC has recruited 8,200 interns since 2019 under a Sh2 billion annual stipend programme, but warned that more funding is needed to sustain and expand the initiative.
PSC commitment
Despite the criticism, Meja maintained that the Commission is undergoing far-reaching reforms aimed at modernising its operations and restoring integrity in public service hiring.
“The system we are using is 15 years old. We are making major changes that will have a positive impact. I urge the Committee to support an increase in our budget so we can fund our programmes effectively,” he said.