Boost in war against fake certificates as KNQA registrations hit one million

The fight against fake academic certificates could gain momentum as the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) crosses the one million mark in the registration of university qualifications, amid proposed legal changes that would give the agency greater powers to regulate institutions awarding academic credentials.

Under the proposed Kenya National Qualifications Framework (Amendment) Bill, 2026, institutions will be subject to tougher penalties for illegally awarding academic qualifications, including fines of up to Sh500,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, or both.

The Bill also designates the KNQA Director-General as the registrar of qualifications-awarding institutions, strengthening the authority’s oversight powers.

The measures are intended to strengthen the regulation of academic qualifications, improve their verification and establish a more reliable system for determining whether certificates presented by individuals and institutions are legitimate.

The Bill, published in a Kenya Gazette Supplement on July 24, 2026, was sponsored by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah.

It proposes amendments to the Kenya National Qualifications Framework Act, Cap. 214, expanding the mandate of KNQA beyond its existing functions to include the registration of qualification-awarding institutions and the development and maintenance of a national qualifications database.

Under the proposed changes, institutions awarding national qualifications would be required to submit information about the qualifications they issue to KNQA within 90 days of awarding them.

Clause 6 of the Bill proposes a new section requiring the authority to establish, maintain, update and publicise a database of national qualifications.

The provision states that the authority “shall establish, maintain, update and publicise a database of national qualifications”.

The database would also include foreign qualifications that have been harmonised and recognised under the framework, creating a central reference point for verifying credentials obtained both locally and abroad.

This could help employers, universities and government agencies establish whether qualifications presented during recruitment, admission or other official processes have been recognised by the relevant authorities.

The Bill further proposes that government agencies and other stakeholders be granted access to information in the database in accordance with the Data Protection Act and the Access to Information Act.

The proposed changes come as concerns over the credibility of academic credentials continue to put pressure on institutions responsible for regulating education and professional qualifications.

One of the most significant changes proposed in the Bill is the designation of the KNQA Director-General as the registrar of qualification-awarding institutions.

Clause 5 seeks to amend Section 13 of the principal Act to include the registrar function among the Director-General’s responsibilities.

The Bill also proposes to amend Section 8 of the Act to expressly empower KNQA to register qualification-awarding institutions and develop the National Qualifications Framework.

The changes would give the authority a more direct role in identifying and maintaining records of institutions authorised to award national qualifications.

Under the proposed framework, a qualification-awarding institution would be an institution mandated to conduct examinations or assessments and award national qualifications.

The Bill seeks to strengthen oversight of such institutions by establishing registration as a specific function of the authority.

It also proposes to amend Section 5 of the principal Act, which governs the award of national qualifications.

Under the proposed provision, an institution would not be permitted to award national qualifications unless it was recognised or accredited in accordance with the Act or was a university accredited under the Universities Act.

The Bill states that a person who contravenes the provision commits an offence and, upon conviction, faces imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, a fine not exceeding Sh500,000, or both.

The proposed penalties would apply to violations of the specified legal requirements. The Bill does not establish that every disputed or unverified certificate is necessarily fraudulent; rather, it seeks to strengthen the legal framework governing the institutions authorised to award qualifications.

The proposed legislation also addresses the transition of existing examining bodies into the strengthened regulatory framework.

Under the proposed amendment to Section 30 of the Act, examining bodies established under different laws before the commencement of the legislation would be allowed to continue operating but would be required to seek accreditation from KNQA within two years of the Act coming into force.

This provision would give existing examining bodies time to comply with the new requirements while bringing them under a common regulatory framework.

The Bill also proposes regulations to guide the registration of qualification-awarding institutions, the establishment of the National Qualifications Framework and the maintenance of the national qualifications database.

The regulations may cover fees, accreditation or certification procedures for qualification-awarding bodies and other administrative requirements.

These provisions would provide the regulatory details needed to implement the proposed changes.

The establishment of a centralised database is among the most consequential proposals in the Bill because it would provide a common reference point for information on recognised qualifications.

Under the proposed Section 18D, every qualification-awarding institution would be required to notify KNQA, in the prescribed manner, of the national qualifications it awards within 90 days of issuing them.

The requirement would place a responsibility on awarding institutions to provide information to the authority rather than leaving the verification of qualifications entirely to individual employers, institutions or applicants.

The database would also support access to qualification information by government agencies and other stakeholders, subject to existing laws governing information access and personal data.

The proposed framework further assigns KNQA responsibility for setting standards and benchmarks for qualifications and competencies, defining qualification levels and facilitating the recognition of national and foreign qualifications.

It also provides for the recognition of attained competencies, including skills, knowledge, attitudes and values.