Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has expressed concern over what he terms a growing moral and social crisis among young Kenyans, warning that widespread entitlement, academic fraud and online hostility are threatening the country’s future.

Taking to X on Saturday, January 17, 2026, the outspoken lawmaker said he is troubled by the behaviour of many young people, particularly recent high school and college graduates, whom he accused of insulting leaders on social media, forging academic certificates to secure jobs, and treating public resources as personal property.

Worrying concern

“I’m deeply troubled by our youth, who insult leaders online, forge degrees for jobs, and act entitled like everything’s public property,” Olekina said.

He contrasted the conduct with the struggles of ordinary citizens who, he noted, work tirelessly to make ends meet. “While we grind through the night to survive, they sleep in delusion,” he added.

In his argument, the senator suggests that the surge in academic fraud and unethical conduct is not only undermining trust in institutions but also depriving genuine opportunities from hard-working and qualified young people. “This fraud epidemic is crippling communities and killing opportunities. When will it end?” he posed.

Olekina’s remarks come amid a rise in cases of forged certificates in both the public and private sectors, with several government agencies uncovering employees who secured jobs using fake academic documents in recent years.

Olekina’s remarks come after the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (MICDE), Governor William Kabogo, had communicated plans of Kenya preparing to replace traditional paper degrees with digital, verifiable credentials, a move he believes will transform the country’s education and job market systems.

Kabogo, who spoke while opening a stakeholders’ workshop on verifiable credentials in October 2025, explained that the government is putting in place mechanisms to ensure that academic certificates can be issued and authenticated through a secure digital system.

Sealing the loopholes

“The Government of Kenya is establishing effective mechanisms for replacing issuance of paper degrees with a Digital Verifiable Credential, which can be securely authenticated using a digital system,” Kabogo said.

Kabogo explained that paper certificates have long exposed Kenya’s labour market to risks. Manual checks often delay issuance, and the costs incurred in handling paper-based documents have created inefficiencies. He added that fake academic certificates and fraudulent credentials have undermined the credibility of qualifications.