How Academic Fraud has Pushed Government to Scrap Paper Degrees

The Kenyan government is moving to abolish the traditional issuance of paper degrees. Instead, it plans to implement a new system using a Digital Verifiable Credential (DVC).

The ICT Cabinet Secretary announced the shift on October 1, 2025, via a Twitter (X) post. This digital certificate aims to offer secure authentication through a dedicated digital system.

“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.”

Tackling Fraud and Delays

This major policy change follows persistent issues concerning academic integrity. The new system aims to address significant risk factors impacting Kenya’s labour market.

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These risks include the high costs associated with issuing paper certificates. They also involve severe delays in certificate issuance caused by institutions relying on manual checks.

The government's move builds on ongoing efforts by verification bodies.

Launching the Implementation Roadmap

To kick-start the transition, the ICT Cabinet Secretary officially opened a key Stakeholders Workshop. The workshop focused on Verifiable Credentials.

Attendees included representatives from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy. Key support also came from the Tony Blair Institute (TBI).

The stakeholders worked to establish a shared understanding of Verifiable Credentials and digital wallets. They are exploring real-world use cases for DVCs and digital wallets.

The goal of the meeting was to align a roadmap for future implementation. Specific stakeholders are being identified to spearhead a proof-of-concept process. This process will guide the countrywide adoption of the Verifiable Credentials system.

High-level participants included Mary Kerema, the ICT E-Government and Digital Economy Secretary. TBI representatives at the meeting included Enterprise Architect Andrew Ferrier and Senior Advisor Michael Viano.

Integrity and Future Growth

The digital credentials are expected to bring significant gains to the digital and education ecosystem.

Verifiable Credentials will be instrumental in protecting data privacy and security. They are also designed to restore integrity in academic records.

In background news released earlier, the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) revealed wide-scale verification issues. The KNQA had flagged over 10,000 discrepancies in academic credentials.

These discrepancies were found after verifying 47,000 names submitted to the Authority. The flagged cases were sent back to the respective institutions for clarification.

"Verifiable Credentials will be instrumental in safeguarding privacy and security of data, restoring integrity, faster issuance and verification of academic credentials, transparency and fairness in the digital and education ecosystem."

The new system promises faster issuance and verification of credentials. It also commits to upholding transparency and fairness. The successful deployment of this process is expected to pave the way for rolling out Verifiable Credentials across the African continent.