Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua has promised to hand over the list of leaders with fake certificates, claiming the country’s wage bill had ballooned due to the high number of public officials with fake papers.
Speaking during the National Wage Bill Conference on Wednesday at the Bomas of Kenya, Gachagua said he will hand President William Ruto a list of State officers who have fake certificates from the backstreets of Nairobi such as River Road.
“Mr President, I will hand you the list of those who have benefitted from the services of people from River Road, who have actually approached me to give me one. They mentioned helping many of your people acquire these certificates. They are here with you,” Gachagua said.
The DP added that many people in government, some governors and heads of departments have fake papers and if they decide to fire all of them, the government could knock out 10,000 off the payroll.
Gachagua disclosed the seriousness of those manufacturing fake academic papers in River Road.
In echoing Gachagua’s concerns, Ruto disclosed that the audit report showed 2,100 people were in possession of fake certificates.
”An audit report has revealed we have 2,100 people so far with fake certificates working for the government. They should refund all their salaries,” Ruto emphasised.
The Head of State said the government invests heavily in education every year, urging Kenyans to go to school and earn genuine certificates.
“We spend Ksh650 billion every year on education. You should be able to take advantage of this and earn yourself a proper certificate,” Ruto said.
He directed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to speed up the recovery of public resources from such workers.
In December 2023, EACC chairperson David Oginde decried the surge in fake academic papers among Kenyans, saying many of the holders had secured well-paying jobs in both private and public offices.
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By Brian Ndigo
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