Kenya considers verifiable academic credentials to phase out paper certificates

Government and other stakeholders in Kenya are brainstorming on an initiative that seeks to replace physical academic certificates with digital verifiable credentials (VCs).

The idea is to replace paper-based certificates issued by higher learning institutions in the country with VCs to ensure the security and integrity of academic documents, according to a news post from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (MICDE). The digital certificates will be issued through digital wallets and cryptographic verification in a tamper-proof manner.

Recently, the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary, Hon. William Kabogo Gitau, presided over a stakeholders’ workshop on how to go ahead with the plan. Participants came from MICDE, the Ministry of Education, and from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which is a major partner in the initiative.

Discussions during the workshop explored how VCs and digital wallets can be used in real world situations, and the concrete steps to be taken towards implementing a proof of concept for the verifiable credentials.

Kabogo is quoted as saying during the meeting that the innovation will, among other things, address issues of cost and delays related to the production of paper-based academic certificates, strengthen document security, and even sort out issues of transparency and fairness. He added that the successful implementation of the initiative will serve as an example for other African nations.

The move by the Kenyan government comes not only as VCs are increasingly gaining momentum around the world, but also at a time when the country is battling with academic documents fraud.

More than 10,000 fake academic certificates were discovered in various government institutions in the course of an authentication exercise earlier this year by the Kenya National Qualifications Authority, per a report by The Kenya Times.

The discovery was part of a government drive to verify academic credentials of government employees. The media outlet also cited an audit last year which revealed that over 2,000 fake academic certificates were used to obtain government employment.

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has been leading advocacy for decentralized digital identity in the UK and in other parts of the world. In a paper this year, the Institute also argued that Africa should leverage AI and DPI for a more impactful public sector and efficient service delivery.

Article Topics

Africa  |  digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  Kenya  |  Tony Blair Institute  |  verifiable credentials