By The Weekly Vision Team
A storm is brewing within Kenya’s higher education sector after the National Assembly Committee on Education raised alarm over the proliferation of fake academic certificates, severe staff shortages, and a staggering KSh935.7 million debt owed to the Commission for University Education (CUE).
The committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, demanded that the commission explain the steps it has taken to address the fake degree menace and clamp down on religious institutions operating outside the law.
Luanda MP Dick Maungu warned that the country risks losing faith in its education system following a sharp rise in the issuance of fake degrees, a problem he claimed is particularly rife among religious leaders and politicians. “This problem undermines Kenya’s academic integrity and puts genuine graduates at a disadvantage,” said Maungu. “CUE must demonstrate tangible action, not mere paperwork.”
Appearing before the committee, CUE Chief Executive Officer Prof. Mike Kuria defended the commission’s record, insisting it has already implemented several quality assurance and enforcement measures. He revealed that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has been invited to probe ongoing cases, with four active investigations currently underway involving fake academic qualifications.
“In the 2024/25 financial year, the commission evaluated 397 university curricula and conducted 252 site inspections to verify academic resources,” said Prof. Kuria. “We also carried out 14 regular institutional audits and three issue-based audits triggered by governance lapses and examination irregularities.”
According to CUE, it processed 2,420 applications for recognition and evaluation of foreign academic qualifications and licensed 46 student recruitment agencies after rigorous vetting and surveillance exercises.
However, Prof. Kuria noted that the commission’s work has been crippled by a significant regulatory vacuum following Parliament’s annulment of the Universities Regulations 2023. “The annulment created a serious gap that limits our ability to enforce standards and align our work with modern higher education reforms,” he told MPs.
The commission’s woes are compounded by chronic underfunding. Prof. Kuria disclosed that under the current budget, CUE received KSh444 million for the first year and KSh546 million for the second, against a projected requirement that leaves a KSh550 million shortfall.
“The shortfall has forced us to postpone or scale down essential infrastructure and regulatory initiatives, which ultimately weakens our oversight capacity,” he said. CUE is also grappling with overlapping mandates between its accreditation role and those of professional bodies, as well as stalled legal and policy reforms due to a lack of facilitation.
Under its 2024–2028 Strategic Plan, the commission aims to transform university education through enhanced quality, relevance, and inclusivity; promote data-driven decision-making; and strengthen institutional capacity. Yet, without adequate funding and legal backing, these ambitions risk being reduced to rhetoric.
The committee has since directed CUE to provide a detailed roadmap on how it intends to combat fake certificates and restore integrity within the higher education sector. Lawmakers have also hinted at the need to reintroduce a new regulatory framework to replace the quashed Universities Regulations 2023.
For now, the credibility of Kenya’s university system hangs in the balance, caught between rising fraud, political interference, and an underfunded regulator struggling to do its job.
