This archive report was first published on 15 November 2019.
Kenyans Suffer as Knec Refuses to Provide New Certificates ¶
Replacing a lost or damaged Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) high school certificate is a costly and frustrating affair for many Kenyans.
According to a Knec official, certification attracts a fee of Sh2,320, and no document is issued to the applicant. Instead, communication is strictly between the organisation that requires the certified documents and Knec.
Confirmation of certification costs Sh5,000, and is done through a letter that can be kept and duplicated if needed.
Ms Cheryl Odipo, 26, has been trying to replace her certificate for the last three years, but has been met with resistance from Knec.
"It is a very expensive affair, especially for someone without a job," Ms Odipo said. "It is so expensive because each time you need your academic credentials certified, you have to go through this costly process with these people (Knec) for a certification letter. So if I am applying to 10 institutions, for example, I have to pay for each letter, which means spending more money," she added.
Mr Jonathan Maranga, a 35-year-old man who lost his certificates when his former secondary school's documents registry burnt down in 2007, has also been affected by Knec's refusal to provide replacement certificates.
"I am 35 and feel that I could have done more with my life. Lack of this certificate has set me back in comparison to my peers. I don't understand why this document can't be made available online for each citizen to download from their own e-citizen or other portal account," Mr Maranga said.
According to Section 10 of Knec Act No. 29 of 2012, certificates or diplomas shall not be withheld from the candidate by any person or institution.
However, Knec has refused to provide replacement certificates, citing fraud and abuse of the process through impersonation and misrepresentation of identity.
Five Kenyans moved to court in 2016 to challenge Knec's decision, stating that it was an infringement of their right to access public documents.
Ms Melissa Machua, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, agrees with them: "Article 35 of the Constitution clearly states that every Kenyan citizen has the right of access to information held by the State. Denying thousands of citizens' access to a document as important as a high school certificate is a blatant infringement of their rights."
