Editor's Review

In a notice, the anti-graft body noted that some government employees are resigning in droves and proceeding on terminal leave.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has ordered the government to stop paying a section of civil servants.

In a notice, the anti-graft body noted that some government employees are resigning in droves and proceeding on terminal leave.

According to EACC, most of these civil servants are holders of fake academic papers and using the new scheme to avoid being caught.

The scheme, according to EACC, has also been hatched by the suspects to avoid refunding the salaries paid to them throughout their employment using fake papers.

Public Service Commission headquarters in Nairobi. PHOTO | COURTESY

"The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has, today, issued a Circular to all public entities in the national and county governments requiring them to halt ongoing payment of terminal benefits to public officers found with forged academic certificates who are resigning or seeking early retirement from Government," EACC explained.

"The scheme by the suspects is calculated to defeat justice noting that salaries and benefits earned based on forged academic certificates are recoverable in full," EACC added.

Further, the anti-graft body indicated that some of the civil servants with fake academic papers are protected by senior officials especially those working at the county level.

"To avert loss of public funds while investigations continue, no Accounting/ Authorized officer should process benefits including; pension, unpaid allowances and/or accrued leave to persons found to have used fraudulent academic qualifications to gain employment in the public service," EACC directed. 

This comes after the Public Service Commission revealed that over 2,000 civil servants have fake academic papers. The commission vowed to launch a crackdown to weed them out and recover their salaries.