Government has sacked 449 civil servants who used forged academic certificates for employment and promotions, according to the Public Service Commission (PSC) Annual Compliance Report for 2023/2024 Financial Year.
These are 52.3% of the 1,019 officers found with fake credentials. Here is the breakdown of the affected officers:
- 744 (73%) had action taken against them (terminations and resignations)
- 181 (17.8%) status unknown
- 79 (7.8%) still under investigation
- 15 (1.5%) had no action taken against them.
Actions Taken Against Offenders
The report also showed the outcomes for those found with forged certificates:
- 181 (21.1%) resigned voluntarily.
- 26 (3%) retired.
- 10 (1.2%) had disciplinary hearings.
- 8 (0.9%) were referred for prosecution.
- 70 (8.1%) still under disciplinary processes.
Certificate Authentication
70.5% of public institutions did the certificate authentication exercise. But many institutions did not update the authentication status of their staff. 67% of institutions that had not yet authenticated certificates said they will do so by June 30, 2025.
PSC Recommendations
To prevent this from happening again, PSC recommended:
- Institutionalization of Authentication: Public institutions must authenticate academic and professional certificates for all officers before issuing appointment letters or processing promotions.
- Termination of Offenders: Institutions must terminate the service of any officer found with forged certificates and send details to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
- Ongoing Monitoring: Continuous verification of certificate authenticity and action taken against offenders.
Policy Implementation
PSC emphasized compliance through circulars including Ref. No. PSC.3/1/1/IV/32/25 and PSC/ADM/13(42) which directed institutions to strictly observe the certificate verification policy.
Public Service
This shows government’s seriousness in Public Service, employment and promotions must be based on merit and qualifications. Institutions are now under pressure to do certificate verification and transparency in recruitment and promotions.
This is a big step towards ethical practices and accountability in Public Service institutions.